Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS)Presented by:M Naveen ReddyVRS is one of the strategies introduced in the early 1980s in central public sector undertakings (PSUs).

It varies from company to company.

VRS is a scheme whereby the employees are offered to voluntarily retire from their services before to their retirement date.

There shall be No Recruitment against vacancies arising out of VRS

WHAT IS VRS?2The VRS candidates must have worked for the organization for minimum of 10 years and also the age of the worker must be minimum of 40 years.

Employees not complying with these conditions still can apply for the early separation but it would not be counted as the VRS legally. Thus these employees won't be able to avail the benefit of tax exemption.

TECHNICALITIESTHE GOLDEN HANDSHAKEThe most human technique to retrench the employees in the company today is the voluntary retirement scheme.

It is the golden handshake for the employees and the only option today for the companies to downsize their headcount.

The scheme which is formally permitted by the Department of Public Enterprises

As the name suggests the VRS is strictly voluntary i.e. one can neither compel the workers to accept it nor apply it selectively to certain individuals.

One can however choose the levels, units and age groups among whom one wants to offer VRS.

The company can always accept or reject the application for the VRS.

But usually this is not done in practical circumstances as it sends wrong signals to the employees

ContdREASONS FOR PROPOSING VRSRecession in businessDownsizingRealignment of business due to market conditionsJoint Ventures with foreign collaborationsTakeovers and mergersBusiness re engineering process

Merits of VRSThere is no legal obstacle in implementing VRS as predominantly encountered in retrenchment under the labour lawsIt offers employee an attractive financial compensation than what is permitted under retrenchment under the lawIt allows flexibility and can be applied to certain divisions, departments where there is excess manpowerIt allows overall savings in the employee costs thus lowering the overall costsUncertainty among the employeesSometimes the severance costs are heavy Trade Unions generally protests the operation of such schemes and may cause disturbance in normal operationsSome of the good capable and competent employees may also apply for separation.DEMERITS OF VRSCALCULATION OF VRSBasic + DA = Rs 7000 + Rs 2500 = Rs 9500

Rs 9500 / 26 days = Rs 365.38 (one day salary)

Completed 32 years of service

32 years x 35days x Rs 365.38 = Rs 409225.60

Note: for computation of one day salary 26 days a month is taken

Similarly for the remaining period of service left

3 years x 25 x Rs 365.38 = Rs 27403.50

Total amount payable = Rs 409225.60 + Rs 27403.50 = Rs 436629.10

Amount to be paid shall be restricted to : 3 x 12 months = 36 months

Total amount to be paid as VRS compensation : 36 months x Rs 9500 = Rs 342000

Note: The payable amount would have to be restricted to Rs 3,42,000THANK U