We are a Pharma company in Telangana and falls under Telangana Shops and establishment, we wanted to understand if it is mandatory to record employee presence in office? there is some category of employees who are working remote and do not want to register their presence. is there any section of Telangana shops and establishment which states mandatory to record employee presence?
Thanks in advance
Jyothi
Hi Jyothi,
As long as they are under payroll you have to show irrespective of Work from office or remote.
Yes, under the Telangana Shops and Establishments Act, employees are generally expected to maintain regular attendance during their working hours, but the law does not specifically state that every employee must mark attendance through a biometric system or a physical register. What matters is that the employer maintains proper attendance records and complies with the provisions related to working hours, overtime, weekly holidays, and leave. The method used to record attendance is usually decided by the employer.
Many organizations use biometric devices, mobile apps, swipe cards, or digital attendance systems because they make recordkeeping easier. Smaller businesses may still rely on manual attendance registers. Regardless of the method, attendance records should accurately reflect the employee’s working hours.
An employer may require employees to mark their presence at the beginning and end of the workday as part of company policy. If such a policy exists and has been communicated to employees, it is generally expected that employees follow it. This helps the employer maintain accurate payroll records, calculate overtime, and demonstrate compliance during inspections.
However, the Telangana Shops and Establishments Act does not say that simply failing to “mark presence” automatically amounts to a legal violation by the employee. Instead, the responsibility primarily falls on the employer to maintain proper records. If an employee was actually present and working but forgot to mark attendance, the issue is usually handled according to the company’s internal HR policy rather than the Act itself.
For employees working remotely or in hybrid roles, many employers have introduced online attendance systems. These may include logging into a company portal, using GPS-based attendance apps, or submitting daily work reports. Such practices are generally acceptable as long as they align with company policy and employment terms.
Attendance records are important because they support:
Salary and wage calculations.
Overtime payment.
Leave management.
Compliance with labour inspections.
Resolution of attendance-related disputes.
If there is a disagreement about attendance, supporting evidence such as email records, work logs, login history, CCTV footage, or manager confirmation may also be considered along with attendance records.
In short, under the Telangana Shops and Establishments framework, maintaining attendance is important, but the law mainly places the obligation on employers to keep proper records. Whether employees must mark their presence through a specific system depends largely on the employer’s internal attendance policy and employment conditions. Employees should follow the attendance procedure established by their organization to avoid payroll issues or disciplinary action, even though the law itself does not prescribe a single mandatory method of marking presence.