Fixed Term Employment Agreement: Aapke Rights Jo HR Kabhi Nahi Batata

"Aapka contract sirf 6 mahine ka hai — PF nahi katega, gratuity nahi milegi." HR ne ye bola — aur aap maan bhi gaye. Lekin ye galat information hai.

Industrial Relations Code 2020 aur Code on Wages 2019 — dono ne Fixed Term Employment (FTE) ko legally define kiya hai aur clearly mandate kiya hai ki FTE workers ko same working conditions milni chahiye jaise same establishment ke comparable permanent workers ko. Sirf duration fixed hai — rights kami nahi hai.

Fixed Term Employment Kya Hota Hai?

Fixed Term Employment yaani ek employment contract jo ek predetermined period ke liye hota hai — 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years. Contract end hone pe koi notice period nahi dena hota — na employer ko, na employee ko. Ye earlier "Contract Labour" se legally alag hai.

Industrial Relations Code 2020 ke under FTE ko formal recognition mili. Pehle ye grey area tha — ab clearly defined hai.

Kaun Se Benefits Milte Hain FTE Workers Ko?

1. Equal Wages — "Same Work, Same Pay"

Code on Wages, 2019 clearly kehta hai: same work ke liye same wages. Agar aap ek permanent employee ke saath same role mein same output kar rahe ho — aapko equal wages milne chahiye. Sirf "contract worker hoon" kehke employer aapko kam nahi de sakta.

2. EPF / PF — Mandatory Agar Eligible

EPF eligibility wage ceiling aur establishment size pe dependent hai — employment type pe nahi. Agar aap ek EPFO-registered establishment mein kaam kar rahe ho aur monthly wage ₹15,000 se kam ya equal hai — aapko EPF benefits milne chahiye. Duration fixed hai ya permanent — farq nahi padta.

3. ESIC Coverage

Similarly, ESIC coverage wage-based hai — ₹21,000 monthly wage ceiling ke neeche sab employees covered hain. FTE workers bhi eligible hain agar establishment ESIC ke under hai.

4. Gratuity — Ye Sabse Badi Surprise Hai

Industrial Relations Code 2020 mein clearly provision hai: FTE workers ko pro-rata gratuity milegi — 5 saal ki service wait nahi karni hogi. Agar aapne 1 saal kaam kiya — 1 saal ki proportional gratuity milegi.

Formula: (Last drawn wages × 15/26) × years of service (proportionally)

Caveat: Ye provision wahan lagu hoga jahan IR Code 2020 notified/enacted hai. State-wise status pe depend karta hai.

5. Annual Leave / Earned Leave

FTE workers ko proportional earned leave milti hai. Agar permanent employees ko 1 day leave per 20 days worked milti hai — FTE workers ko bhi same rate se milni chahiye pro-rated to their tenure.

Contract End Hone Par Kya Hota Hai?

FTE ka ek distinct feature: contract end hone par koi retrenchment nahi hota aur koi notice nahi dena hota. Ye natural termination hai. Isliye FTE workers ko Industrial Disputes Act wala retrenchment compensation nahi milta — woh arrangement fixed term ke liye specifically is tarah design ki gayi hai.

Lekin agar employer contract period ke beech kisi wajah se terminate kare — toh woh retrenchment jaisi hogi aur separate protections apply honge.

Contract Mein Kya Hona Chahiye?

• Employment start date aur end date clearly mentioned
• Job role, wages, working hours
• Benefits (PF, ESI, leave) — explicitly mentioned
• Renewal conditions (agar hai)
• Early termination clause (if employer terminates before end)

Agar ye details nahi hain ya HR ne verbal promises kiye hain — written mein maango. Contract employment letter se hi aapka haq decide hota hai.

FTE vs Contract Labour — Ye Dono Alag Hain

Kai log "Fixed Term Employment" aur "Contract Labour" ko confuse karte hain. Contract labour woh hota hai jahan employee kisi contractor ke through deploy hota hai principal employer ke paas. FTE directly employer ke saath contract hai. Dono ke rights alag hain — apna arrangement clarify karo.