Govt won’t use WhatsApp, other social media for salary communication | Details Here

The Centre has decided to rule out its plan to allow WhatsApp and other social media platforms for salary communication of employees under its new labour codes amid privacy concerns and fears that the measure would further legitimise social media for official communication.

Union labour secretary Apurva Chandra told Livemint on Thursday that the “anomaly will be corrected and the Centre will remove WhatsApp and other social media platforms from wage communication draft notification.” Chandra said that the government valued privacy concerns of employees adding that WhatsApp and other social media would be excluded from the final standing orders.

This update comes exactly a month after the Union labour ministry was considering feedback on a fresh provision of sending intimation regarding all payments through electronic mode under draft standing orders on manufacturing, mining and services sectors, an official told news agency PTI on January 11.

In December last year, the ministry had circulated two draft standing orders on the services sector and manufacturing and mining sectors. “All payment including wages to the workers shall be paid by crediting in the bank account of worker on electronic mode or digital form. Intimation… to a worker shall be sent to him through Short Messaging Service (SMS) or e-mail or social media communication, such as WhatsApp or by issuing a slip,” the orders read.

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However, people had expressed apprehensions that this measure would allow organisations to display the financial and personal details of their employees on social media platforms which could be accessed by everyone