Rule 57: Welfare Officer

Finin2min analysis — operative rule mechanics

Full notified text — Rule 57

57. Welfare Officer.– Employer of every factory, mine and plantation shall ensure that:-

     (i) welfare officers are appointed as prescribed below-

     (a) the employer of every establishment mentioned above ordinarily employing between two hundred
     and fifty and upto five hundred workers appoints at least one welfare officer, and where the number of
     workers exceeds five hundred, an additional welfare officer for every additional five hundred workers
     or fraction thereof over five hundred is appointed;
     (b) in every establishment mentioned above where both male and female workers are employed, the
     number of women welfare officers to be appointed shall be in proportion to the women workers
     employed and where the number of women employed is more than one hundred and the total number of
     women workers does not exceed one thousand, an additional woman welfare officer is appointed;
     (c) where there is more than one welfare officer appointed, one of them is designated as the Chief
     Welfare Officer and the others as welfare officers;

    (ii) person appointed as Welfare Officer has obtained a post graduate degree or diploma in social work
        or human resources management or labour welfare from any institution recognised by the Central or
        State Government in this behalf; and has knowledge of the language spoken by the majority of the
        workers in every establishment mentioned above.
    (iii) the appointment is intimated by the employer electronically or otherwise to Inspector-cum-
        Facilitator, giving the details of qualifications, etc. of the officer appointed and the conditions of their
        service.
(iv) (a) a Welfare Officer is given appropriate status corresponding to that of the other executives of every
     establishment mentioned above and appointed on an executive or officer pay scale;

       (b) the conditions of service of a Welfare Officer are the same as that of other members of the executives
      or officer of corresponding status in every establishment mentioned above :

            Provided that, in the case of discharge or dismissal, the Welfare Officer will have a right of appeal
      to the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator, whose decision thereon is final and binding upon the employer.

            (v) Duties of a Welfare Officer:

                 (a) to establish contacts and hold consultations with a view to maintaining harmonious relations
                 between the management and workers;

                 (b) to bring to the notice of the management the grievances of workers with a view to securing
                 expeditious redressal and to act as a liaison officer between the management and workers;

                 (c) to study and understand the point of view of workers in order to help the management to
                 shape and formulate labour policies and to interpret these policies to the workers in a language
                 they can understand;

                 (d) to advise on compliances, obligations, statutory or otherwise, concerning regulation of
                 working hours, maternity benefit, medical care, compensation for injuries and sickness and
                 other welfare measures and social Security benefits;

                 (e) to advise on provision of welfare facilities, such as housing facilities, foodstuffs, social and
                 recreational facilities, sanitation, individual personnel problems and education of children; and

                 (f) to advise the management on training of new recruits, apprentices, workers on transfer and
                 promotion, instructors and supervisors, supervision and control of notice board and information
                 bulletins to further education of workers and to encourage their attendance at technical
                 institutes;

            (vi) welfare officers shall not deal with disciplinary cases or appear on behalf of the management
                 against workers or appear before a conciliation officer or tribunal on behalf of every
                 establishment mentioned above management.

Application and evidence

1. Primary statutory test — Employer of every factory, mine and plantation shall ensure that:- (i) welfare officers are appointed as prescribed below- (a) the employer of every establishment mentioned above ordinarily employing between two hundred and fifty and upto five hundred workers appoints at least one welfare officer, and where the number of workers exceeds five hundred, an additional welfare officer for every additional five hundred…
2. Additional operative limb — (b) in every establishment mentioned above where both male and female workers are employed, the number of women welfare officers to be appointed shall be in proportion to the women workers employed and where the number of women employed is more than one hundred and the total number of women workers does not exceed one thousand, an additional woman welfare officer is appointed;
3. Qualification / exception to test — Provided that, in the case of discharge or dismissal, the Welfare Officer will have a right of appeal to the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator, whose decision thereon is final and binding upon the employer. (v) Duties of a Welfare Officer: (a) to establish contacts and hold consultations with a view to maintaining harmonious relations between the…
4. Numerical or timing control — (d) to advise on compliances, obligations, statutory or otherwise, concerning regulation of working hours, maternity benefit, medical care, compensation for injuries and sickness and other welfare measures and social Security benefits;
5. Code Section mapping — 24. Read the mapped provision together with this text rather than treating the concordance as a substitute for it.
6. Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Employer, Worker, State Government, Inspector-cum-Facilitator, Tribunal.

Cross-references & prescribed forms

Worked example

Q&A — Rule 57

Primary sources