Government sanctions ad hoc bonus to employees for fiscal 2021

The government has sanctioned non-productivity linked or ad hoc bonus for central government employees for fiscal year 2020-21.

In an office memorandum, the Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry said the employees of central para military forces and armed forces too would be eligible for the bonus.

Employees who were in service as on March 31, 2021, and have rendered at least six months of continuous service during 2020-21 fiscal year would be eligible for this ad hoc bonus.

The non-productivity linked bonus (ad hoc bonus) would be paid to the central government employees in Group C and all non-gazetted employees in Group B, who are not covered by any productivity- linked bonus scheme.

The calculation ceiling for payment of this bonus would be monthly emoluments of Rs 7,000.

"The quantum of ad hoc bonus will be worked out on the basis of average emoluments/calculation ceiling whichever is lower," the Department of Expenditure said.

To calculate ad hoc bonus for one day, the average emoluments in a year will be divided by 30.4 (average number of days in a month).

This will, thereafter, be multiplied by the number of days of bonus granted.

Giving an illustration, the memorandum said given the calculation ceiling of monthly emoluments of Rs 7,000 (where actual average emoluments exceed Rs 7,000), the non-productivity linked bonus or ad-hoc bonus for 30 days would work out to be Rs 6,908.

It also clarified that in case of employees who resigned, retired from service or expired before March 31, 2021, the ad hoc bonus would be paid only to those who superannuated or retired on medical grounds or died before March 31, 2021, but after completing at least six months regular service during the year.