A Project Report

On

“Absenteeism among the tea garden labourers: A case study on the Mancottta Tea Garden ”

A dissertation submitted

To

Dibrugarh University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor Degree in Commerce with speciality in

Human Resource Management

DHSK Commerce College

Session 2010-2011

Submitted by:

Name : Bidish Goswami

Registration No. : 09000935, Year: 2009

Roll No. : 16230187

I

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled “Absenteeism among the tea

garden labourers: A case study on the Mancotta Tea Garden”, written and submitted

by Bidish Goswami (Registration no. – 09000935 of 2009 , Roll no. - 16230187)

towards the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor Degree in

Commerce with speciality in Human Resource Management , is a record of genuine

Project Work done by Bidish Goswami under my guidance and supervision . The

dissertation of any part thereof has not been submitted to any other University /

Institution for any other Degree , Diploma or Title .

Countersigned by :

( Mrs. Kalpana Khound ) ( Dr.(Mrs) C . Roy )Principal , i/c Supervisor D.H.S.K. Commerce College Associate ProfessorDibrugarh. Deptt.of Economics & HRM

D.H.S.K. Commerce CollegeDibrugarh.

II

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

This project work is a result of inspiration, encouragement and co-operation of

many persons associated with it. In this regard, at first I would like to offer my heartiest

thanks to my Supervisor, Dr. (Mrs.) Chitra Roy, Prof. Dept. of Economics and HRM,

DHSK Commerce College, Dibrugarh under whose supervision and precious guidance

this project work has been completed. During the course of my study she was always

there to help me out for which act of kindness I shall remain indebted to her.

Words of special appreciation and thankfulness and deepest sense of gratitude to

Prof. Dr. Shantanu Goswami , M.A.,L.LB, Ph.D. , Professor and HOD , Department of

Economics & HRM , D.H.S.K. Commerce college, Dibrugarh, for his untiring and

generous help , encouragement , valuable guidance , kind advices and essential

suggestions whenever I approached him

I express my sincere gratitude to Prof. P.Das , M.A. ; Prof. Bikash Gogoi , M.A. ,

Department of Economics & HRM , D.H.S.K Commerce college , Dibrugarh , for

rendering generous help , constructive criticism , valuable and timely suggestions during

the entire project work.

I would also like to express my thankfulness to the Library Staff of the D.H.S.K.

Commerce College and especially to Sri Suraj Gogoi for the help I have received.

I am always grateful and offer my personal thanks to the tea garden labourers

without whose interview the project would not have been completed.

I offer my heartfelt thanks to the Senior Manager of the Garden, Mr. S. Agarwala,

the Welfare Officer, Mr. D. Konwar; Mr. Prabhat Gogoi and the other office staff

members of the Mancotta Tea Garden for allowing me to go through their official records

for data collection which were of great help for the study.

III

Finally, I find no words to express my depth of gratitude to immortal love and

blessings of my beloved parents, Mr. Pritom Goswami and Mrs. Mrinali Devi, who had

brought me up to this stage and encouraged me in every step of it. The constant

encouragement, support, love and affection from all my friends and relatives acted as an

inspiring force and helped me to make the project work possible.

IV

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The present project work on “Absenteeism among the Tea Garden labourers: A

case study on the Mancotta Tea Estate ” is an empirical study prepared on the basis of

information collected from the management and 120 labourers of the Mancotta Tea

Estate, situated about five kilometers from Dibrugarh Town. This Project Report is

divided into three chapters.

The main objectives of the present study is to find out the rate of absenteeism

among the labourers of the garden, to study the reasons behind absenteeism of the

labourers, to study about the steps taken by the garden authority to reduce the problem of

absenteeism in their garden and to study about the workers attitude towards absenteeism.

Some of the major observations made on the basis of the findings of the study are

that that the rate of absenteeism among the labourers of the Mancotta Tea Garden is very

high. The literacy rate among the workers of the garden is very low. It is also seen that

the wage level of the labourers is very low (below ` 2000 per month). One of the major

causes of absenteeism, found in the garden is the bad health of the workers or their family

members. Besides this some other important reasons for the absenteeism among the

labourers are alcoholism, workers morale, absence after social and cultural ceremonies

and even the absence of adequate welfare facilities to be provided lead to the problem of

absenteeism.

Moreover some suggestions on the basis of the study have been forwarded to

control the problem of absenteeism which will be beneficial for both the labourers as well

as the garden management.

V

CONTENTS Page no.

1. CERTIFICATE I

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT II – III

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IV

4. CONTENTS V-VI

5. LIST OF TABLES. VII

6. LIST OF FIGURES VIII

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 – 8

1.1 Absenteeism 2

1.2 Types of absenteeism 3

1.3 Causes of absenteeism 3

1.4 Methods to control absenteeism 4

1.5 Calculation of the rate of absenteeism 6

1.6 Statement of the problem 6

1.7 Scope of the study 6

1.8 Objective of the study 6

1.9 Hypothesis of the study 7

1.10 Rationality of the study 7

1.11 Methodology 7 – 8

1.12 Topical organisation 8

CHAPTER II: FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 9 – 44

A. Analysis of data collected from the management 10 – 14

B. Analysis of data collected from the labourers 15 – 44

VI

CHAPTER III: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 45 – 53

3.1 Summary of the information collected from the management. 46 – 47

3.2 Summary of the information collected from labourers. 48 – 49 – 50

3.3 Inferences on the Hypothesis. 50

3.4 Conclusions. 50 – 51 – 52

3.5 Suggestions. 53

ANNEXURE - I: Bibliography.

ANNEXURE - II: Interview schedule of the management.

ANNEXURE - III: Interview schedule of the labourers.

VII

LIST OF TABLES

Table no. Title Page no.

1. Rate of absenteeism of the permanent labourers 12

2. Rate of absenteeism of the casual labourers 14

3. Age wise distribution of the labourers 15

4. Distribution of the respondents on the basis of their education 16

5. Sex wise distribution of the labourers 17

6. Distribution on the basis of marital status 18

7. Distribution on the basis of number of children of the respondents 19

8. Length of service in the garden 20

9. Monthly wages (in `) 21

10. Weekly presence in work 23

11. Health condition of the labourers 23

12(A) Absence in work due to health problems: No. of workers 25

12(B) Absence in work due to health problems: No. of days 26

13(A) Absence in work due to health problems of family concern 27,28,29

13(B) Days of absence in work due to health problems of family concern 30

14. Provisions of adequate medical facilities 31

15. Working outside the garden 32

16. Ways of managing livelihood during absence 33,34,35

17. Facilities provided 36

18. Absence after social ceremonies and festivals 37

19. Different aspects of alcohol consumption 38

20. Workers awareness on the evil effects of absenteeism 40,41,42

21. Absence for no reason 44

VIII

LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. no. Title Page no.

1.

Age wise distribution of the labourers 16

2.

Sex wise distribution of the labourers 17

3 Distribution on the basis of marital status 18

4 Length of service in the garden 21

5 Monthly wages (in `) 22

6 Health condition of the labourers 24

7 Absence in work due to health problems: No. of workers 26

8 Absence in work due to health problems of family concern 29

9 Ways of managing livelihood during absence 36

10 Absence after social ceremonies and festivals 38

11 Different aspects of alcohol consumption 39

12 Workers awareness on the evil effects of absenteeism 43

CHAPTER - I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Absenteeism:

The term absenteeism generally means employees staying absent from

work. It is the absence of an employee when he is scheduled to work. The word

absenteeism for the first time was defined in a circular of the Labour Department,

Government of India. It was issued to provincial governments. The circular defined

absenteeism as “total man-shifts lost because of absence of a percentage of the total

number of man-shifts scheduled.”1 The co-operation of the labourers and workers in

an industry or an organisation is very important for the better health and smooth

running of that organisation. Absenteeism is one of the vexing problems of almost all

1 Saxena R.C., Saxena S.R., labour problem and social welfare [prakash Kendra publication] lucknow, 1992. pp. 432 gupta, S.K. & Joshi Rosy, Human Resource Management, Kalyani publisher, New Delhi, fourth and enlarged print, 2007. pp. 31.63 Bhagoliwal, Dr. T.N., Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Sahitya Bhawan Publications, Agra, 1996. pp. 211.4 Bhagoliwal, Dr. T.N., Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Sahitya Bhawan Publications, Agra, 1996. pp. 211

the organisations which not only adversely affect the management but also its

working environment, its production schedule and finally the profit of that

organisation. In real terms absenteeism is the failure to report for work when a

worker is scheduled to work. A worker is considered as a scheduled worker when the

employer has works available for him and that worker is aware of it. It hurts the

organisation badly resulting in the loss of production, increased cost of hiring

additional staff and low morale among the workers of that organisation. According to

the Webster’s Dictionary, “absenteeism is the practice or habit of being an

‘absence’, and an ‘absenter’ is one who regularly stays away.”2 The various

definitions forwarded by different institutions regarding absenteeism are as follows:

According to the Encyclopedia of social science absenteeism is “time lost in

industrial establishments by the avoidable and un-avoidable absence of employees.”3

Another definition on the report of the working party of the Cotton Textile Industries

defines that “absenteeism is the average percentage of workers absent from work per

day for any reason”4.

The problem of absenteeism is not just a problem of the under-developed

countries but has become a global phenomenon.

1.2 Types of Absenteeism:

Absenteeism is of four types viz

1) Authorised Absenteeism: If an employee absents himself from work by

taking permission from superior and applying for leave, such Absenteeism is called

authorized Absenteeism.

2) Unauthorised Absenteeism: If any employee absents himself from work

without informing or taking permission and without applying for leave, such

absenteeism is called Unauthorized Absenteeism.

3) Willful Absenteeism: If any employee absents himself from duty willfully,

such Absenteeism is called Willful Absenteeism.

4) Absenteeism caused by circumstances beyond one’s control: If any

employee absent himself from duty owing to the circumstances beyond his control

like involvement in accidents (or) sudden sickness, such absenteeism is called

Absenteeism caused by circumstances beyond one’s control.

1.3 Causes of Absenteeism:

The following are the general causes of the Absenteeism

1. Maladjustment with the working conditions: If the working conditions of

the company are poor, the workers cannot adjust themselves with the company’s

working conditions. Then they prefer to stay away from the company.

2. Social and religious ceremonies: Social & religious functions divert the

workers attention from the work.

3. Unhealthy working conditions: The poor and intolerable working conditions

in the factories irritate the working excess heat, noise, either too much or too low

lighting, poor ventilation, dust, smoke cause poor health of the workers. This factory

causes the workers to be absent.

4. Poor welfare facilities: Though a number of legislation concerning welfare

facility are enacted, many organizations fail to provide welfare facilities. This is

either due to the poor financial position of the companies (or) due to the exploitative

attitude of the employs. The welfare facilities includes poor sanitation, washing,

bathing first aid appliances, ambulance, restrooms drinking water, canteen, shelter,

crèches etc. The dissatisfied worker with these facilities prefers to be away from the

workplace.

5. Alcoholism: Workers mostly prefer to spend money on the consumption of

liquor and enjoyment after getting the wages. Therefore, the rate of absenteeism is

more during the first week every month.

6. Indebtness: The low level wages and unplanned expenditure of the workers

force then to borrow heavily. The research studies indicate that workers borrow more

than 10 times of their net pay. Consequently workers fail to repay the money. Then

they try to escape the place in order to avoid the money lenders. This leads to

absenteeism.

7. Maladjustment with job demands: The fast enhancing technology demand

higher level skills from the workers fail to meet these demands due to their lower

level education and/or absenteeism of training.

8. Unsound personnel policies: The improper and unrealistic personnel policies

result in employee dissatisfaction. The dissatisfied employee in tune prefers to be

away from the work.

9. Low level of wages: Workers Wages in some organizations are very poor and

they are quite inadequate to meet the basic needs of the employees. Therefore,

employers go for other employment during their busy seasons and earn more money.

Further, some employees take up part time jobs. Thus the employees resort to

moonlighting and absent themselves from the work.

1.4 Measures to control absenteeism:

Absenteeism cannot be eliminated altogether. So measures should be

taken to minimise the rate of absenteeism such as:

1. Proper Hiring: It is necessary that people with rights skills and experience are

selected.  Every employee should as far as possible be assigned work according to

capabilities, aptitude and interest.

2. Good working condition: Proper sanitation, drinking water, canteen, first aid, rest

pauses and mechanization can help to reduce absenteeism by making work

environment pleasant.

3. Housing and Transport facilities: Provision of housing accommodation,

preferably neat the factory and transportation facility will ensure regular attendance

of workers.

4. Safety programmes: Adequate safety measures help to minimise industrial

accidents and reduce fear of injury among employees.  As a result attendance

becomes improved.

5. Incentives: Special bonus, cash prizes and preference in promotion to regular

employees encourage workers to be regular in their attendance.

6. Effective supervision: Supervisors can considerably reduce absenteeism by

earning the confidence and commitment of workers.

7. Disciplinary Action: Suitable action should be taken against chronic absentees. 

Punitive action may be in the form of publishing their names in company house

magazines, fines, withholding pay increment, denial of promotion, suspension,

dismissal, etc.

8. Regular leave provision: A provision should be made wherein every worker can

avail a few days of leave during a year.  Holidays with pay will enable a worker to

attend to his private affairs.

9. Employee Counseling: Guidance and counseling help employees to eliminate bad

habits like drinking and gambling.  Habitual absentees can be persuaded to become

regulate by impressing upon them the loss arising to them due to absenteeism. 

Education and training can be used to develop a sense of responsibility.

10. Proper Records: Detailed and update records of absenteeism should be

maintained.  Absenteeism above the predetermined level should be carefully

analyzed age wise, sex wise, month wise and other bases.

1.5 Calculation of the rate of absenteeism

The Rate of Absenteeism can be calculated with the help of the following formula

prescribed by the U.S. Department of labour.

Absenteeism rate = Number of Man-days lost × 100 ÷Number of Man-days worked

+ Number of Man-days lost.

Absenteeism rate can be calculated for different employees and for different time

periods like days, months & years.

1.6 Statement of the problem:

The problem of absenteeism among the tea garden labourers is a major problem affecting

the tea gardens of the state. To have an in-depth knowledge of this problem and thereby

to suggest ways and means to reduce the problem, the present study, “Absenteeism

among the Tea Garden Labourers: a case study of the Mancotta Tea Garden” has been

taken up.

1.7 Scope of the study:

The scope of the present project work is limited to the 875 tea garden labourers of the

Mancotta Tea Garden of Dibrugarh District, Assam.

1.8 Objective of the study:

The objectives of the present project work are to:

1. To find out the rate of absenteeism among the labourers of the Garden.

2. To study the reasons behind absenteeism of the labourers.

3. To study about the steps taken by the garden authority to reduce the problem

of absenteeism in their garden

4. To study about the workers attitude towards absenteeism.

1.9 Hypothesis for the study:

The following hypothesis have been set in accordance with the objectives

for the study.

H1: The rate of absenteeism in the garden is very high.

H2: The major cause of absenteeism among the labourers of the garden is bad

health.

H3: A large number of the labourers are absent in their work because of

overdrinking.

H4: The labourers of the garden are not at all aware of the evil effects of

absenteeism.

1.10 Rationale of the study:

Absenteeism problem has become a serious problem in almost all sectors of work.

Absenteeism is seen more prominent in the labour oriented works than in managerial or

white collar jobs. The present study is focused on labour absenteeism, which tries to find

out the main reasons behind labourers remaining absent in work. A sound knowledge on

the subject would be immensely helpful for the management because by knowing the

reasons of labour absenteeism proper steps can be taken to control it. Moreover, this may

also help the labourers in knowing and overcoming the evil effects of absenteeism.

1.11 Methodology :

The study is conducted among 120 (constituting 13.7 p.c.) tea garden labourers of

the Mancotta Tea Garden situated five kilometers from the Dibrugarh town. The

required information for the study have been collected through direct interviews with

the management and labourers with the help of two carefully prepared interview

schedules 5. Besides the primary data, some secondary data have been also collected

from reports, official records, books, magazines, journals, newspapers and the

internet. The collected data have been presented in the forms of simple tables,

diagrams and analysed with the help of percentage.

To estimate the rate of absenteeism, data relating to the daily attendance of

labourers, for the period from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2009 have been

collected from the official records.

1.12 Topical organisation:

This project report is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is an

introductory one. Here different aspects relating to absenteeism like types of absenteeism,

causes of absenteeism, methods to control absenteeism, calculation of the rate of

absenteeism and scope of the study, objective of the study, hypothesis of the study,

rationale of the study and methodology have been discussed.

In the second chapter analysis of data collected from the management and the

labourers have been presented. The rates of absenteeism among the permanent as well as

casual labourers have also been estimated in this chapter.

In the third chapter summary of the information collected from the management,

and the labourers, inferences on the Hypothesis, Conclusions and Suggestions have been

presented.

________________________

5. Interview schedules are presented in annexure II and annexure III.

C H A P T E R - I I

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

A. Analysis of data collected from the management:

The information collected from the garden management have been presented

below.

It is found that the management is fully aware of the problem of absenteeism in

the garden. The management not only suffers quantitative loss in the form of loss /

damage of plucked leaves but also qualitative loss such as detoriation in the quality of the

tea produced and also delays in production schedule. Moreover, the management has to

suffer a monetary loss of about `.4000 per day due to labour absenteeism in the garden.

The management also reported that the problem of absenteeism have decreased the output

of the garden by about 20 p.c. which is ultimately affecting the quality of the tea

produced by the garden.

As the management is fully aware of this problem, they have taken necessary

steps to reduce the rate of absenteeism. A labour that remains absent from work without

prior information and permission from the management for a long period, a notice is

served for his absence in the work which acts as a warning against him. A labourer could

even be dismissed from work if he does not obey the notice. But this type of steps is not

adopted by the management to avoid the unwanted disputes that would arise between the

labourers and the management. The general practice adopted by the garden management

is to suspend such a labour for three to four days from work and no wage is paid for those

days.

The management also reported that the labourers are paid their bonus during the

festival season. The rate of bonus paid during the year 2010 is 20 p.c. out of which 15

p.c. has been paid during the ‘Durga Puja’ season and the rest 5 p.c. is to be paid during

the ‘New Year’.

It has been also found in the study that the ration facilities are provided to the

labourers at a subsidised rate. The ration is provided to both the permanent as well as the

casual workers. The casual workers receive the ration only during their working season.

Every worker is provided with three kilograms of rice and three kilograms of wheat

fortnightly. Some other facilities provided by the garden authority are free quarter

facility; clean drinking water facility, Canteen facility, Shelter for taking rest during

work, Medical facilities, Lavatories, Umbrellas and Raincoats, and Blankets.

The management reported that the problems of the labourers are looked into

properly by the garden authority. If any grievance arise between the two parties i.e. the

workers and the management, the problems are being discussed with the labour unions

and the management and the problem is bought to an amicable solution.

Regarding the safety measures adopted by the authority, in case of any accidents

caused in the factory, first aid and immediate treatment is provided and the victim is

taken to the garden hospital. But no such preventive measures have been taken to cut

down or to negotiate the risks of accidents.

The management is not at all satisfied regarding the present absenteeism problem

prevailing in the garden as the rate of absenteeism is very high for which the garden have

to suffer huge losses.

The management also stated that they have certain schemes for controlling the

absenteeism problem in the garden in the near future. A notice will be sent to the workers

remaining absent from work. If the labourer does not respond to the notice, a ‘domestic

enquiry’ will be set up by the management committee and an investigation will be made.

If any worker is found guilty of being absent for false reasons, he can be dismissed from

work.

A detailed information on absenteeism have been collected from the official records for

one whole year and presented in the following tables. The rate of absenteeism on monthly basis

of the permanent tea garden labourers have been calculated on the basis of the data collected

from the official records, “Ganti Book” i.e. the Attendance Register keeping the records of

daily attendance of labourers in work, for the year 2009 starting from 1st January to 31st

December and presented in TABLE – 1. For determining the rate of absenteeism the following

formula has been applied:

Rate of Absenteeism = Number of man days lost ×100 ÷ Man days worked +

Man days lost

TABLE – 1

Rate of absenteeism of the permanent labourers

Months Total strength Total present Total absent Abs.Rate (%)

Male Female Adol Total Male Female Adol Total Male Female Adol Total

Jan 6492 7339 46 13877 5525 6673 2 11930 1237 666 44 1947 14.02

Feb 6729 7702 48 14479 2910 3233 6 6149 3819 4469 42 8330 57.53

Mar 7016 8041 50 15107 4673 6214 3 10890 2343 1827 47 4217 27.91

Apr 6768 7766 48 14582 5257 6457 47 11761 1511 1309 1 2821 19.34

May 7050 8100 50 15200 5194 5916 0 11110 1856 2184 50 4090 26.90

Jun 7325 8450 52 15827 5369 6330 0 11699 1956 2120 52 4128 26.08

Jul 7868 9076 56 17000 5381 6045 0 11426 2487 3031 56 5574 32.78

Aug 7025 8100 50 15175 5154 5997 0 11151 1871 2103 50 4024 26.52

Sept 6768 7752 48 14568 4669 5624 0 10293 2099 2128 50 4277 29.36

Oct 7337 8379 57 15773 5374 6162 5 11541 1963 2217 52 4232 26.83

Nov 7075 8025 75 15175 5319 6274 25 11618 1756 1751 50 3557 23.44

Dec 7330 8354 78 15762 5918 6994 35 12947 1412 1360 43 2815 17.85

Total 84783 97084 658 182525 60473 71719 121 132513 24310 25165 537 50012 27.40

It has been found that the rate of absenteeism is the highest (57.53 p.c.) in the month of

February and is the lowest (14.02 p.c.) in the month of January. The reason behind such a high

rate of absenteeism in February is that majority of the workers generally avail their annual due

leave of two weeks during that month. The rate of absenteeism in the other months of the year

ranges between 17.85 p.c. to 32.78 p.c. and the annual rate of absenteeism is 27.40 p.c. which

may be regarded as a high rate of absenteeism as compared with the normal rate of absenteeism

which ranges from 7 p.c. to 15 p.c.

In Table-2, the rates of absenteeism among the casual labourers, who are mostly

employed during the peak plucking season i.e. from the month of May till the month of October,

have been calculated and presented in Table – 21. It has been found that the rate of absenteeism

is the highest (48.52 p.c.) in the month of September and is the lowest (27.60 p.c.) in the month

of June. Whereas on the other months the rate is found to be in between the range of 31.76 p.c. to

46.55 p.c. The overall rate of absenteeism for this period of six months of the year is 42.50 p.c.

So, it is found that the rate of absenteeism in the garden is very high. Hence the first

hypothesis i.e. the rate of absenteeism in the garden is very high is accepted

TABLE– 2

Rate of absenteeism of the casual labourers

Months Total strength Total present Total absent Abs.

Rate (%)Male Female Adol Total Male Female Adol Total Male Female Adol Total

May 1091 1972 1749 4812 743 1382 447 2572 348 590 1302 2240 46.55

Jun 1330 2820 1831 5981 963 2337 1030 4330 367 483 801 1651 27.60

Jul 1780 3537 1900 7217 1308 2548 1059 4915 472 989 841 2302 31.76

Aug 1700 3275 1899 6874 1053 2192 941 4186 647 1083 958 2688 39.10

Sept 1700 3275 1900 6875 894 1917 728 3539 806 1358 1172 3336 48.52

Oct 1753 3340 1976 7069 949 2157 677 3783 804 1183 1299 3286 46.48

Total 9354 18219 11255 38828 5910 11533 4882 22325 3444 6686 6373 16503 42.50

B. Analysis of data collected from the labourer

The sample labourers numbering 120, have been classified according to their

ages in the following table

TABLE – 3

Age wise distribution of the labourers

Age groups (in years) No. of samples Percentage (%)

15 – 24 26 21.67

25 – 34 28 23.33

35 – 44 19 15.83

45 – 54 26 21.67

55 – 64 17 14.16

65 – 74 3 02.50

75 and above 1 00.83

TOTAL 120 100

Table – 3 reveals that 23 .33 p.c. of the labourers are within 25 – 34 years of

age, followed by 21.66 p.c.of labourers in the age group of 15 – 24 years as well as 45

– 54 years. Only 4 (four) labourers above the age of 65 years have been found.

The diagrammatic representation of the above table is shown below in Fig.1

Fig. 1

15 - 24 years

25 - 34 years

35 - 45 years

45 - 54 years

55 - 64 years

65 - 74 years

above 75 years

per-cent-age

21.67 23.33 15.83 21.67 14.16 2.5 0.8300000000000

01

2.5

7.5

12.5

17.5

22.5

Age wise distribution of the labourers

perc

enta

ge

TABLE – 4

Distribution of respondents on the basis of their education

Education levels No. of samples No. of male

Percentage (%)

No. of female

Percentage (%)No. %

Illiterate 46 38.33 18 39.13 28 60.86

Class I – IV 37 30.38 23 62.16 14 37.84

Class V – VII 31 25.83 22 70.97 09 29.03

Class VIII – X 06 5.00 04 66.67 02 33.33

Above class X 0.00 0.00 0.00 00.00 0.00 00.00

TOTAL 120 100 67 55.83 53 44.17

The above table reveals that 38.33 p.c. of the samples studied are illiterate.

30.83 p.c. of the samples have been found to be educated till the primary level and

about 26 p.c. are found educated from class V – VII. Only 5 p.c. of the labourers are

educated till the high school level. The illiteracy level among the female workers is

seen very high (60.86 p.c.)

TABLE – 5

Sex wise distribution of the labourers

No. of males

Percentage (%)

No. of females

Percentage (%)

Total Percentage (%)

67 55.83 53 44.17 120 100

Table – 5 reveals that 55.83 p.c. of the total samples under the study area are

male and the rest 44.17 p.c. are females.

Fig. 2 shows the diagrammatic representation of the sex-wise distribution of

the labourers working in the garden.

Fig. 2

male55.83%

female44.17%

Sex wise distribution of the labourers

TABLE – 6

Distribution on the basis of marital status

Married Percentage (%)

Unmarried Percentage (%)

Total Percentage (%)

91 75.83 29 24.17 120 100

It has been seen in Table – 6 that about three-fourth of the total sample are

married and the rest 24.17 p.c. are unmarried.

Fig. 3 shows the diagrammatic representation of the distribution of the

labourers on the basis of their marital status.

Fig. 3

married75.83%

unmarried24.17%

Distribution on the basis of marital status

In the Table below, the respondents of the present project work have been

classified on the basis of their number of children. In the following table and it has

been found that 27.5 p.c. sample labourers have no children. 25 p.c. of the samples are

found to be in the ‘small family’ group i.e. having 1 – 2 children. 35 p.c. samples were

found to have 3 – 4 children. However 12.5 p.c. in the study were found to have more

than 4 children and could be termed as ‘large family’. The total number of children of

respondents figured 282 out of which 52.48 p.c. are boys and 47.52 p.c. girls.

TABLE – 7

Distribution on the basis of number of children of the respondents

No. of children

No. of samples Total no. of children

No. of boys No. of girls

No. % No. % No. %

0 33 27.5 0 0 0

1 7 5.83 7 5 71.43 2 28.57

2 23 19.17 46 27 58.69 19 41.31

3 20 16.67 60 35 58.33 25 41.67

4 22 18.33 88 46 52.27 43 47.73

5 10 8.33 50 20 40.00 30 60.00

6 4 3.33 24 12 50.00 12 50.00

7 1 0.83 7 3 42.86 4 57.14

TOTAL 120 100 282 148 52.48 134 47.52

TABLE – 8

Length of service in the garden

Length of service ( in years) No. of labourers Percentage (%)

0 – 1 year 10 8.33

1 – 2 years 12 10.00

2 – 5 years 17 14.17

5 – 10 years 18 15.00

Above 10 years 63 52.50

TOTAL 120 100

In the table, the lengths of service of the labourers, in numbers of years are

presented and it is seen that above 50 p.c. of the labourers have been working in the

garden / factory for above ten years. About 29 p.c. of the samples are found whose

length of service ranges between 2 – 10 years. Only 18 p.c. labourers are between 0 –

2 years of length

The diagrammatic representation of the length of service the labourers are

working in the garden is shown in Fig. 4

Fig. 4

0 - 1 yr

1 - 2 yrs

2 - 5 yrs

5 - 10 yrs

above 10 yrs

5 15 25 35 45 550 - 1 yr 1 - 2 yrs 2 - 5 yrs 5 - 10 yrs above 10 yrs

percentage 8.33 10 14.17 15 52.5

Length of service in the garden

TABLE – 9

Monthly wages

Monthly wages (in `.) No. of samples

Percentage (%)

Less than 1000 0

1001 – 2000 115 95.83

2001 – 3000 0

3001 – 4000 05 4.17

4001 and above 0

TOTAL 120 100

It has been found that in the tea gardens labourers are generally paid wages

forth nightly basis. In the present study, in respect of only 5 labourers wages are

found to paid on a monthly basis. However for convenience, the salaries of all the

labourers covered under the present project work have been converted into monthly

basis and relevant information has been presented in the Table – 9. It is observed from

the Table that the salaries of most (95.83 p.c.) of the labourers are within `. 1001 –

2000 per month.

The diagrammatic representation of the monthly wages of the

labourers (in `) is shown in Fig. 5

Fig. 5

less than 1000

1001 - 2000

2001 - 3000

3001 - 4000

above 4001

5 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95less than 1000 1001 - 2000 2001 - 3000 3001 - 4000 above 4001

percent-age

0 95.83 0 4.17 0

monthly wages in `

TABLE – 10

Weekly presence in work

No. of days present No. of labourers Percentage (%)

Everyday 61 50.83

5 – 6 days a week 38 31.67

3 – 4 days a week 20 16.67

Less than 3 days a week 1 0.83

TOTAL 120 100

In respect of the information collected regarding the number of days, a worker

under the study goes to work in a week; it is revealed (Table – 10) that about half of

the total workers go to work every day. Nearly 17% of the workers have stated that

they go to work only for 3 – 4 days a week.

TABLE – 11

Health condition of the labourers

Information regarding the health condition of the workers of the present

universe has been collected from them. A labourer who has stated that working in the

garden/ factory has not affected his health adversely has been regarded as having a

‘good’ health condition.

Health conditions No. of labourers Percentage

Good 64 53.33

Starting to affect 13 10.83

Detoriated to some extend 26 21.67

Severe 17 14.17

TOTAL 120 100

It is observed that 53.33 p.c. of the workers are in ‘good’ health condition.

21.67 p.c. of the labourers have stated that their health condition detoriated after

working in the garden and factory. About 14 p.c. informed to have severe health

conditions and only 10.83 p.c. said that their jobs are starting to affect their health.

The diagrammatic representation of the health conditions of the labourers are

working in the garden is shown in Fig. 6

Fig. 6

good

starting to affect

detoriated to some extend

severe

5 15 25 35 45 55good starting to af-

fectdetoriated to some extend

severe

percentage 53.33 10.83 21.67 14.17

Health condition of the labourers

TABLE – 12(A)

Absence in work due to health problems: No. of workers

Unable to go to work on health ground

No. of workers

Male Female Total

Absent

20

(60.61)

13

(39.39)

33

(27.5)

Present

47

(54.02)

40

(45.98)

87

(72.5)

Total 67

(55.83)

53

(44.17)

120

(100)

*figures in the bracket represent percentage

Table – 12(A) shows the number of labourers remaining absent from work due

to their health problems. It is found in the study that 27.5 p.c. of the labourers remain

absent from work due to their health problems whereas 72.5 p.c. informed to remain

present in work.

It has been found that one of the major causes of absenteeism of the labourers

is bad health. Hence, the second hypothesis i.e. the major cause of absenteeism among

the labourers of the garden is bad health is accepted.

Fig. 7 shows the diagrammatic representation of the above table.

Fig. 7

absent present

male 0.606100000000001 0.5402

female 0.393900000000005 0.4598

5%15%25%35%45%55%65%75%85%95%

Absence in work due to health problems: No. of workers

perc

enta

ge

TABLE – 12(B)

Absence in work due to health problems: No. of days

No. of days remaining absent in a week

Last one week ( in days) Last one month(:in days)

0 1 2 3 >3 total 0 1 – 2 2 – 4 4 – 6 >6 total

98

(81.67)

6

(5)

12

(10)

1

(.83)

3

(2.5)

120

(100)

78

(65)

11

(9.17)

13

(10.83)

7

(5.83)

11

(9.17)

120

(100)

*figures in the brackets represent percentage

Table – 12(B) shows the distribution of the number of days remaining absent

by the labourers during last one week and last one month. It is found that during the

last week, 81.67p.c. of the labourers are present for work whereas only 10 p.c. of

them remained absent for two days. Only 5 p.c. of the labourers were absent for a

single day.

On the other hand 65 p.c. of the labourers, studied for the current project were

present in the work during the last month. Above 10 p.c. were found to be absent for

about 2 – 4 days in that month.15 p.c. of them were absent for more than four days a

month.

It has been found that there are 78 labourers who have remained absent in work due to

health problems of their family members. They are classified on the basis of the

reason / reasons for not being able to go to work in the TABLE-13(A)

Table – 13(A)

Absence in work due to health problems of family concern

Unable to go to work: Sample No.

Reasons for not being able to go to work No. of reasons stated by the samples for not being able to go to work.

Parents’ bad health

Husband’s / wife’s bad health

Children’s bad health

1 Y Y 22 Y 13 Y 14 Y 15 Y 16 Y 17 Y Y 28 Y 19 Y 110 Y Y 211 Y 112 Y Y 213 Y Y 214 Y 115 Y Y 216 Y 117 Y 118 Y 119 Y Y 220 Y 121 Y 122 Y 123 Y 124 Y 125 Y 1

26 Y 127 Y 128 Y Y 229 Y 130 Y 131 Y 132 Y 133 Y 134 Y 135 Y Y 236 Y 1

37 Y 138 Y 139 Y 140 Y 141 Y Y 242 Y 143 Y 144 Y Y 245 Y 146 Y 147 Y 148 Y 149 Y 150 Y 151 Y 152 Y 153 Y 154 Y 155 Y 156 Y Y 257 Y 158 Y 159 Y Y 260 Y Y 261 Y 1

62 Y 1

63 Y 164 Y Y 265 Y 166 Y 167 Y 168 Y 169 Y Y 270 Y 171 Y Y 272 Y Y 2

73 Y Y 274 Y 175 Y Y 276 Y 177 Y 178 Y 1TOTAL 43 (55.13) 19 (24.36) 36 (46.16) 98

* Figures in the brackets signify percentage.Y represents Yes.

It is revealed from the table [Table – 13(A)] that the most important reason

for the workers to remain absent in work is the bad health of their parents’ which

constitutes above 55 p.c. which is followed by the health problem of their children for

which about 46 p.c. of the labourers remain absent in their work. Health of the spouse

(husband / wife) is the third important factor responsible of the workers causing

absenteeism.

Fig. 8 shows the diagrammatic representation of the Table – 13(A) which

shows the reasons of absence of the labourers in work due to different reasons.

Fig. 8

parents bad health

spouse's bad health

children's bad health

5 15 25 35 45 55parents bad health spouse's bad health children's bad health

percentage of labourers ab-sent from work

55.13 24.36 46.13

Absence in work due to health problems of family concern

TABLE – 13(B)

Days of Absence in work due do health problems of family concern

Causes

Parents’ health problems

Health problems of husband / wife

Health problem of children

Absent Last- Week

(no. of days)0 1 2 >2 Total 0 1 2 >2 Total 0 1 2 >2 Total

No. of labourers

110

(91.67)

6

(5)

3

(2.5)

1

(.83)

120

(100)

116

(96.66)

2

(1.67)

2

(1.67)

0 120

(100)

110

(91.67)

4

(3.33)

4

(3.33)

2

(1.67)

120

(100)

Absent Last-Month

(no. of days)

0

1 – 2 2 – 4 >4 Total 0 1 – 2 2 – 4 >4 Total 0 1 – 2 2 – 4 >4 Total

No. of labourers

77

(64.17)

21

(17.5)

16

(13.33)

6

(5)

120

(100)

100

(83.33)

7

(5.83)

8

(6.67)

5

(4.17)

120

(100)

79

(65.83)

13

(10.83)

11

(9.17)

17

(14.17)

120

(100)

*figures in the brackets signify percentage

The distribution of the labourers absent from work in the number of days

during the last week and last month is shown in the table for the three reasons of

absence mentioned in the study.

It is found that 91.67 p.c. of the labourers have not missed their work the

previous week due to their parents’ bad health, whereas 8 p.c. were found absent. On

the other hand 64 p.c. of the samples were present during the last month of work. 17.5

p.c. were found absent for a day or two during the previous month and about 18 p.c.

were absent for two days or more.

Secondly, during the last week only about 3.5 p.c. of the samples were absent

from work due to the health problems of their spouses and that too for not more than

two days whereas above 95 p.c. of them were present on work for that ground. Even

during the last month a very high percentage(83.33) were found to be present for

work on the mentioned ground. About 6 p.c. were found absent for a day or two

whereas nearly 11 p.c. were absent for about two days and more.

Thirdly, above 90 p.c. of the workers were seen present in work during last

week and only about 8.33 p.c. labourers were absent on their children’s health ground.

Whereas during the last month 10.83 p.c. were found absent for a day or two; about 9

p.c. were absent for two to four days and about 14 p.c. were absent for more than four

days. Above 65 p.c. of the labourers were present on the stated ground.

TABLE – 14

Provision of adequate medical facility

Provision of proper medical facilities by the

management No. of workers Percentage

Yes 15 12.5

No 105 87.5

Total 120 100

Table 14 shows the provision of proper medical facilities provided by the

management and it has been found in the study that above 85 p.c. of the labourers do

not receive proper medical facilities. Only 12.5 p.c. of the samples studied reported to

have received proper medical facility from the garden authority.

TABLE – 15

Working outside the garden

It has been revealed in the table that above 55 p.c. of the labourers working in

the garden / factory are not engaged in any type of work outside the garden. While

about 44 p.c. of the labourers have stated that they go out for work except working in

the garden and out of which 8 p.c. are found going for other side jobs outside the

garden very often.

Table 16 shows that a significant proportion (46.67 p.c.) of the workers have

to borrow loans when they remain absent from their work. While 44.17 p.c. of the

workers somehow manage alternative income sources in those days, whereas only

9.17 p.c. of the workers have to remain without any income.

Going to work outside the

garden No. of labourers Percentage

Often 10 8.33

Sometimes 43 35.83

No 67 55.83

TOTAL 120 100

TABLE – 16

Ways of managing livelihood during absence

Sample No.Ways of managing livelihood during absence from work

TOTALBorrowing Loans

Alternative source of income

No Income

1 Y 12 Y 13 Y 14 Y 15 Y 16 Y 17 Y 18 Y 19 Y 110 Y 111 Y 112 Y 113 Y 114 Y 115 Y 116 Y 117 Y 118 Y 1

19 Y 1

20 Y 121 Y 122 Y 123 Y 124 Y 125 Y 126 Y 127 Y 128 Y 129 Y 130 Y 131 Y 132 Y 133 Y 134 Y 135 Y 136 Y 137 Y 138 Y 1

39 Y 140 Y 1

41 Y 142 Y 1

43 Y 144 Y 145 Y 146 Y 147 Y 148 Y 149 Y 150 Y 151 Y 152 Y 153 Y 154 Y 155 Y 156 Y 157 Y 158 Y 159 Y 160 Y 161 Y 162 Y 163 Y 164 Y 165 Y 166 Y 167 Y 168 Y 169 Y 170 Y 171 Y 172 Y 173 Y 174 Y 175 Y 176 Y 177 Y 178 Y 179 Y 180 Y 181 Y 182 Y 183 Y 184 Y 185 Y 186 Y 1

87 Y 188 Y 189 Y 190 Y 191 Y 192 Y 193 Y 194 Y 195 Y 196 Y 197 Y 198 Y 199 Y 1100 Y 1101 Y 1102 Y 1103 Y 1104 Y 1105 Y 1106 Y 1107 Y 1108 Y 1109 Y 1110 Y 1111 Y 1112 Y 1113 Y 1114 Y 1115 Y 1116 Y 1117 Y 1118 Y 1119 Y 1120 Y 1TOTAL 56 (46.67) 53 (44.17) 11 (9.17) 120 (100)

* Figures in the brackets signify percentage

Y represents Yes.

Fig. 9 shows the diagrammatic representation of the Table – 16 which shows

the different ways of managing livelihood during absence from work.

Fig. 9

borrowing loans

alt. source of income

no income

5 15 25 35 45 55borrowing loans alt. source of income no income

percentage of labourers 46.67 53.17 9.17

Ways of managing livelihood during absence

TABLE – 17

Facilities provided

Free ration Firewood Umbrellas and raincoat

Blankets

Yes No Total Yes No Total Yes No Total Yes No Total

120 0 120 90 30 120 90 30 120 90 30 120

Table 17 throws a light on the facilities provided by the management to its

labourers. It is seen that free ration is provided to all the labourers but at subsidised

rates. Whereas firewood, umbrella and raincoat for the rainy season and blankets for

the winter season are only provided to the permanent labourers.

TABLE – 18

Absence after social ceremonies and festivals

Table 18 shows the number of days the labourers remain absent for work after

some soial ceremonies or festivals and it has been found that about 40 p.c. of the

labourers do not remain absent in work after any social ceremonies and events. 32.5

p.c. reported to remain absent for a day or two after any social event, but about 27 p.c.

of the labourers are found to remain absent for more than two to three days

Fig. 10 shows the diagrammatic representation of the Table – 18 which shows

the absence of the labourers from work days after social ceremonies and events, in

number of days.

No. of days absent after social ceremonies and festivals

No. of labourers Percentage

0 49 40.83

1 – 2 39 32.5

2 – 3 27 22.5

3 – 4 4 3.33

>4 1 0.83

TOTAL 120 100

Fig. 10

0 days

1 - 2 days

2 - 3 days

3 - 4 days

>4 days

2.5 7.5 12.5 17.5 22.5 27.5 32.5 37.5 42.50 days 1 - 2 days 2 - 3 days 3 - 4 days >4 days

percentage 40.83 32.5 22.5 3.33 0.830000000000001

Absence after social ceremonies and fes-tivals

TABLE – 19

Necessity of Alcohol consumption

Prepared at home

Purchased from outside

Considerable part of wage spent on alcohol

Remaining absent due to over drinking

Yes No Total

Yes

No Total

Yes No Total

Yes No Total

Yes No Total

103(85.83)

17(14.17)

120(100)

96(80)

24(20)

120(100)

70(58.33)

50( (41.6

6)

120(100)

58(48.33)

62(51.67)

120(100)

43(35.83)

77(64.17)

120(100)

Different aspects of alcohol consumption

* figures in the brackets signify percentage

Table 19 reflects light to the different aspects of alcohol consumption. It is

found that 85.83 p.c. of the samples studied think the consumption of alcohol

necessary for their living.

It has also been found that 80 p.c. of the families prepare alcohol at their

homes.

On the other hand about 58 p.c. of the labourers reported that they use to

purchase alcohol from outside for consumption.

It has been found in the study that above 45 p.c. of the labourers spend a

considerable amount of their wage in alcohol consumption.

It is also reported by the samples that about 36 p.c. of the labourers have to

remain absent in their work the preceding day due to over drinking.

It has been found that one of the causes of absenteeism among the labourers is

alcoholism. Hence, the third hypothesis i.e. a large number of the labourers are absent

in their work because of overdrinking is accepted.

Fig. 11 shows the diagrammatic representation of the Table – 19 which shows

the different aspects of alcohol consumption..

Fig. 11

necessity ofalcohol consumption

prepared at home

purchased from outside

considerable part of wage spent on alcohol

remain absent due to over drinking

10.00% 30.00% 50.00% 70.00% 90.00%necessity ofalcohol consump-

tion

prepared at home

purchased from out-

side

consider-able part of wage spent on alcohol

remain ab-sent due to over drinking

yes 0.8583 0.8 0.5833 0.48330000000000

4

0.35830000000000

4

no 0.1417 0.2 0.4166 0.5167 0.64170000000000

8

Different aspects of alcohol consumption

TABLE – 20

Workers awareness of the evil effects of absenteeism

Sample No.

Awareness among the workers No. of evil effects of absenteeism, the sample is aware of

Wage loss Decrease production

Affect morale

Affects quality

1 Y Y Y 32 Y Y Y 33 Y Y 24 Y Y 25 Y Y 26 Y Y 27 Y Y 28 Y Y 29 Y 110 Y Y 211 Y 112 Y Y 213 Y Y 214 Y Y Y 315 Y Y Y 316 Y Y 217 Y Y Y 318 Y Y 219 Y Y 220 Y Y 221 Y Y 222 Y Y 223 Y Y 224 Y Y 225 Y Y 226 Y Y Y 327 Y Y 228 Y Y 229 Y Y Y Y 430 Y Y Y 331 Y Y Y 332 Y Y Y 333 Y Y Y Y 434 Y Y 235 Y Y 236 Y 137 Y Y 238 Y Y Y 339 Y Y Y 340 Y Y 2

41 Y Y 242 Y Y Y Y 443 Y Y 244 Y 145 Y 146 Y Y 247 Y Y 248 Y 149 Y Y 250 Y Y 251 Y Y Y 352 Y Y Y Y 453 Y Y Y 354 Y Y 255 Y Y 256 Y Y Y 357 Y 158 Y Y 259 Y Y 260 Y Y Y 361 Y Y Y Y 462 Y Y 263 Y Y 264 Y 165 Y Y 266 Y 167 Y Y 268 Y Y Y Y 469 Y Y 270 Y Y 271 Y Y 272 Y Y Y 373 Y Y 274 Y Y 275 Y 176 Y 177 Y Y 278 Y Y 279 Y Y 280 Y Y 281 Y 182 Y 183 Y Y Y 384 Y Y Y Y 485 Y Y 286 Y Y 287 Y Y 288 Y Y Y 3

89 Y Y Y 390 Y Y 291 Y Y Y 392 Y Y 293 Y 194 Y Y Y 395 Y 196 Y Y 297 Y Y 298 Y Y 299 Y Y Y Y 4100 Y Y 2101 Y Y Y 3102 Y Y 2103 Y Y 2104 Y Y 2105 Y Y Y 3106 Y 1107 Y Y 2108 Y Y 2109 Y Y Y 3110 Y Y Y Y 4111 Y Y Y 3112 Y Y 2113 Y Y 2114 Y Y Y 3115 Y Y 2116 Y 1117 Y Y Y 3118 Y Y 2119 Y Y 2120 Y Y 2TOTAL 120

(100%)46 (38.33%)

36 (30%) 66 (55%) 268

*Figures in the brackets signify percentage.

Y represents Yes.

Table 20 highlights that cent percent of the workers interviewed for the study

are aware of their wage loss during the period of absence from work. Whereas 55 p.c.

have stated that they are aware of the fact that high rate of absenteeism can affect the

quality of the produce of the garden and only about 38 p.c. have stated that remaining

absent also decreases the production of the garden. It is also found in the study that

they are least concerned about the effect of absenteeism on the morale in their works.

It has been found that the labourers are well aware of the evil effects of

absenteeism. Hence, the fourth hypothesis i.e. ‘the labourers of the garden are not at

all aware of the evil effects of absenteeism is rejected.’

In Fig. 12 the diagrammatic representation of the Table – 20 is shown where

the awareness among the workers on the evil effects of absenteeism are highlighted.

Fig. 12

wage loss decrease produc-tion

affects morale affects quality

percentage 100 38.33 30 55

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

95

awareness among workers on evil effects of absenteeism

perc

enta

ge

TABLE – 21

Absence for no reason

It is seen in the table that nearly 31 p.c. of the labourers use to remain

absent for work for no reason whereas about 69 p.c. are present for work.

Absent for no reason

No. of workers

No. Percentage Yes 37 30.83

No 83 69.17

TOTAL 120 100

C H A P T E R - I I I

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

3.1 Summary of the information collected from the Management

The present project work on the problem of absenteeism among the tea garden

labourers is based on the information collected through a field study conducted at the

“Mancotta Tea Garden” which is located about five kilometers from the Dibrugarh

town. The garden management has been interviewed for collecting the relevant

information of the study. Moreover, a total number of 120 labourers (13.7 p.c. of the

total 875 labourers), have been interviewed for the purpose, out of which 90 are

permanent labourers constituting 15 p.c. of the total (600) permanent labourers and 30

are casual labourers constituting 10.91 p.c. of the total (275) casual labourers.

A summary on the information collected from the management are as follows:

i. The total area of the garden is 410.10 hectare of which 233.08 hectare of the

area is used as the plantation area.

ii. The total number of employees (office staff as well as labourers) in the garden

is 902 out of which 27 are office staff. The rest 875 are labourers of which 600

are permanent labourers and 275 are casual labourers.

iii. The management is fully aware of the problem of absenteeism.

iv. The management has to suffer a loss of about ` 4000 per day due to the

absenteeism problem.

v. Necessary steps are being taken by the authority to reduce the problem. A

notice is being served to the labourer remaining absent from work without the

prior information of the management which acts as a warning to him for his

absence. He may also be suspended from work for three to four days.

vi. The annual bonus of 20 p.c. has been paid to the labourers during the festival

season.

vii. Ration is provided to the labourers at a subsidised rate. Moreover other

facilities are also provided such as:

Free quarter facilities.

Clean drinking water.

Canteen facility.

Shelter for taking rest during work.

Medical facilities.

Lavatories.

Umbrellas and Raincoats.

Blankets etc.

viii. The problems which arise between the labourers and management of the

garden are looked into by the management and the grievances are brought to

an amicable solution through discussion between the management and the

labour unions.

ix. In case of any accidents in the garden or factory, immediate first aid is

provided by the authority. There is also the facility of the Garden Hospital.

x. The management is not at all satisfied with the high rate of absenteeism

among the labourers in the garden.

xi. The management of the garden has chalked out some measures for controlling

the absenteeism problem like serving notice to the absent workers, conducting

a domestic enquiry by the management committee and dismissal from work in

the case of finding guilty of being absent for false reasons.

xii. The rate of absenteeism among the permanent labourers is the highest (about

58 p.c.) during the month of February and lowest ( about 14 p.c) in the month

of January.

xiii. The annual rate of absenteeism among the permanent labourers is found to be

27.48 p.c.

xiv. The rate of absenteeism among the casual labourers is the highest (about 49

p.c.) during the month of September and lowest (about 28 p.c.) in the month of

June.

xv. The annual rate of absenteeism among the casual labourers is found to be

42.50 p.c.

3.2 Summary of information collected from the Labourers

i. The highest proportion (about 23 p.c.) of the labourers working in the

Mancotta Tea Garden is within the age group of 25 – 34 years.

ii. It is found that majority (around 38p.c.) of the employees are illiterate,

however the rate of illiteracy is very prominent (60.86 p.c.) among the

female workers. A majority (about71 p.c.) of the male workers are

found to be educated from class V – VII.

iii. The sex-wise distribution of the labourers shows that more than half

(about 56 p.c.) of the workers of the present study are male.

iv. Regarding marital status it has been found that more than three-fourth

(about 76 p.c.) of the workers are married.

v. Distribution of the number of children of the workers shows that about

28 p.c. of the labourers of the present study have no children, 25 p.c. of

the labourers have 1 – 2 children, 35 p.c. of the labourers have 3 – 4

children and about 13 p.c. have more than 4 children. The proportion

of boys and girls are 52.48 p.c. and 47.52 p.c. respectively.

vi. It has been found in the study that 52.50 p.c. of the labourers have a

service length of more than 10 years in the garden.

vii. It is found that the large majority (96 p.c.) of the respondents receive a

monthly wage between the wage-group of ` 1001 – 2000.

viii. It has been found in the study that more than half (51 p.c.) of the

labourers remain present in work every day in a week.

ix. Regarding the health condition of the labourers and is found that a

majority (53 p.c.) of the labourers do possess a good health.

x. It is found that above one – fourth (28 p.c.) of the labourers taken for

the study remains absent from work due to their health problems.

xi. It is found that about 18 p.c. of the labourers were found absent in

work due to their health problems during the week just preceding the

day of interview and 35 p.c. of the labourers have remained absent in

their work due to the above mentioned reason during the month just

preceding the day of interview.

xii. The study shows the reasons for the absence in work for the labourers

due to the heath reason of their family concern and it is found that a

majority (55 p.c.) of the employees remain absent in work due to the ill

health of their parents.

xiii. The bad health of their old parents as well as their children’s is found

as the most important reason as 8 p.c. of the workers have remained

absent, ranging from 1 day to 2 or more, from their work during the

week just preceding the day of interview. About 35 p.c. of the

labourers are found absent from work for the same reasons mentioned

above for the month just preceding the day of interview. Whereas only

4 p.c. of the labourers were found absent during the week as mentioned

above for their spouse’s health and 20 p.c. were found absent during

the whole month.

xiv. Regarding the provision of medical facilities by the garden authority a

very large number (about 88 p.c.) of the labourers stated that the

medical facilities are not adequate.

xv. It is surprising to find that 44 p.c. of the labourers go outside the

garden for doing various types of works though they are employed in

the garden as permanent or casual labourers.

xvi. About 47 p.c. of the labourers resort to borrowing loans and above 44

p.c. adopt some alternative sources of income like helper to the

carpenter / plumber / mason, construction workers, daily wage

labourer for managing their livelihood during absence from work.

xvii. The facilities provided by the garden authority such as free ration at a

subsidised rate are provided to cent percent of the labourers working in

the garden. The other facilities such as firewood, umbrellas and

raincoats and blankets etc are provided to the permanent labourers

only.

xviii. It is found that majority (59 p.c.) of the labourers remain absent from

work after the socio – cultural festivals and ceremonies for one, two

and even more days.

xix. Regarding the different aspects of alcohol consumption it is found that

a vast majority (86 p.c.) of the labourers think alcohol consumption is

necessary. It is also found that 80 p.c. of the families prepare alcohol in

their homes. A major portion of the labourers (58 p.c.) are found to

purchase alcohol from outside sources whether it is prepared in their

homes or not. It is also found that nearly half (48 p.c.) of the labourers

spend a considerable part of their income on alcohol. However, 36 p.c.

of the labourers have stated that they remain absent in work due to

over drinking.

xx. It has been also found that the workers are aware on the evil effects of

absenteeism and cent percent of the labourers are conscious about their

wage loss due to absenteeism. More than half (55 p.c.) of the labourers

are aware about the declination in the quality of the product due to

absenteeism.

xxi. It is startling to find that nearly 31 p.c. of the labourers use to remain

absent from work for no reason.

3.3 INFERENCES ON THE HYPOTHESIS:

H1: The hypothesis that ‘the rate of absenteeism in the garden is very high’ is

accepted.

H2: The hypothesis that ‘The major cause of absenteeism among the labourers

of the garden is bad health’ is accepted.

H3: The hypothesis that ‘A large number of the labourers are absent in their

work because of overdrinking’ is accepted.

H4: The hypothesis that ‘The labourers of the garden are not at all aware of the

evil effects of absenteeism’ is rejected.

3.4 CONCLUSION:

A. Based on the above findings the following conclusions have been made on

the information collected from the management:

i. The Mancotta Tea garden has a total area of 410.10 hectare out of

which 233.08 hectare is used as plantation area which employees 902

workers of which 27 are office staffs and the rest 875 are the labourers.

ii. The management of the garden is fully aware of the problem of

absenteeism and the average monetary loss per day due to this problem

is `.4000.

iii. The management has taken necessary steps to reduce the problem of

absenteeism.

iv. 20 p.c. bonus for the financial year 2010-11 has been paid to the

labourers.

v. The working conditions of the labourers are satisfactory. But the

authority is not being able to provide one of the basic requirements of

modern life i.e. the service of electricity, to the labour quarters for the

last five years as the garden authority has not been able to pay the dues

to the Electricity Department.

vi. Any dispute arising between the management and the trade unions is

brought to an amicable settlement through discussions between the

management and the labour unions.

vii. In case of accidents in the garden or factory during work, proper first

aid and medical treatment is provided by the authority.

viii. The rate of annual absenteeism among the labourers in the garden is

very high. The management is not at all satisfied with this vexing

problem and have chalked out some measures like serving Notice to

the absent workers and also by setting up a domestic enquiry

committee by the management and dismissal of the worker if found

guilty of remaining absent for false reason. But such steps have not yet

been adopted.

B. The following conclusions have been made on the basis of information

collected from the labourers:

i. High proportion (23 p.c.) of the labourers working in the garden is

young, within the age group of 25 – 34 years.

ii. A very high of illiteracy still prevails among the tea garden labourers

which are more prominent among the female labourers. The overall

level of education among the tea garden labourers is also found to be

very low.

iii. More than half of the labourers in the study are male.

iv. About three-fourth of the labourers of the study are married.

v. About half of the labourers under the present study have three or more

than three children.

vi. More than half of the labourers have been working in the garden for

more than 10 years.

vii. The monthly wage of 96 p.c. of the workers is within ` 1001 – 2000.

viii. About 53 p.c. of the labourers are in good health but 28 p.c. of the

labourers remain absent in work for their bad health.

ix. Parents’ and children’s health problem are the two most important

contributing factors of labourers absenteeism.

x. Nearly 90 p.c. of the labourers do not receive adequate medical facility

provided by the garden authority.

xi. About 44 p.c. of the labourers employee themselves in works outside

the garden though being employed in the garden, as helper to the

carpenter/ plumber/ mason, daily wage labourer etc, and about 47 p.c.

of them use to borrow loans for maintaining their living during

absence.

xii. The labourers are not seen fully satisfied with the facilities provided by

the garden.

xiii. Nearly 60 p.c. of the labourers remain absent from work for a day or

two and even more after the socio-cultural ceremonies and festivals.

xiv. About 36 p.c. of the labourers remain absent in the work due to

alcoholism.

xv. The labourers are fully aware of their wage loss but are least concerned

about the decrease in production and detoriation of the quality of

product due to absenteeism.

xvi. 31 p.c. of the labourers remain absent in work for no reason.

3.5 SUGGESTIONS:

Based on the following conclusions, a few suggestions are being forwarded below:

1. The garden management should take adequate steps to increase the

literacy rate among the labourers of the garden so that they can

understand the evil effects of absenteeism properly.

2. The management should provide a satisfactory level of wage and

allowance based on the financial position of the garden for improving

the economic conditions of the labourers working in the garden.

3. The standard of medical facilities in the garden should be improved

and regular health check-ups of the family members of the labourers

should be initiated.

4. Awareness should be created among the labourers regarding the evil

effects of absenteeism by the management and the labour union.

5. At present, the workers in the garden do not have the right in any

decision making process of the management. So, steps should be

initiated to introduce participatory management system in the garden

management which will enable them to understand the present market

situation and that in turn will make them aware of the evil effects of

absenteeism on the overall economic condition of the garden. This

realization will go a long way in motivating them to reduce the rate of

absenteeism.

ANNEXURE – I

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books referred:

1. Bahgoliwal, Dr. T.N., Personnel Management and Industrial Relations.

Sahitya Bhawan Publications, Agra. Revised edition, 1996.

2. Chhabra, T.N., Human Resource Management, Dhanpat Rai & Co. (P) Ltd.

New Delhi. Fifth Edition.

3. Gupta, Shashi. K & Joshi, Rosy, Human Resource Management. Kalyani

Publisher, New Delhi. Fourth and enlarged edition, 2007.

4. Mamoria , Dr. C.B.; Mamoria, Dr. Satish; Gankar, S.V.; Dynamics of

Industrial Relations. Himalayan Publication House Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai. Fifth

publication, 2005.

5. Rao, V.S.P., Human Resource Management; excel books, New Delhi, second

edition, 2005.

6. Saharia, Dr. Umesh Chandra. Tea labourers of Assam. Kaustabh Publications.

Dibrugarh. First publication, 2005.

7. Sexena, R.C. & Saxena, S.R., Labour problems and social welfare. Prakash

Kendra Publication. Lucknow, Revised edition, 1992.

8. Tripathi, Prof. P.C., Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. Sultan

Chand & Sons, New Delhi. Nineth edition, 1993.

Websites referred:

9. www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/absenteeism-among-workers-

1440722.html

10. www.wiki.answers.com/Q/

How_can_high_absenteeism_of_employees_affect_an_organisation

11. http://nepjo/.info/index.php/NELTA/article/viewPDFIntertitial/3421/2967

12. http://www.northeastindiatravel.com/assam/tea-gardens.html

13. http://www.ecoindia.com/tea-gardens/assam1.html

14. http://www.manipuresearchforom.org/TeaGardenCommunity.html

15. http://www.scribd.com/doc/36666256/33696669-Hr-Project-Absenteeism

16. http://www.nenews.com/ANENovember16-30,06/specialreport.html

ANNEXURE - II

Interview Schedule of the Management

1. Name of the garden:

2. Name of the respondent:

3. Designation:

4. Year of establishment of the garden:

5. a) Total area of the garden:

b) Plantation area of the garden:

c) No. of employees in the garden:

i. Total employees (including the office staff):

Permanent: _______

Casual: _______

Total: _______

ii. Total labourers:

Permanent: ________

Executive: ________

Total: _________

6. Are you aware of the absenteeism problem in your garden? Yes / no

7. What are the average / approximate loss in your garden caused by

absenteeism?

i) Loss of the plucked leaves

ii) Delay in production schedule

iii) Decline in the quality of work

iv) Per day / per month average loss in Rs._____________

8. What is the amount of tea leaves to be plucked by a labourer on an average

day? Please state_______________

9. How does absenteeism have affected your business?

i) Has decreased the output.

ii) Has adversely affected the quality of the product

iii) Has increased the cost

iv) Has adversely affected the overall business

10. Have you taken any steps to reduce absenteeism? Yes / no

11. a) If yes, what are the steps taken, please explain

b) If no, please state the reasons

12. a) Is free ration provided to the workers by the garden management? Yes / no

b) Is it provided to the

i) Permanent workers

ii) Temporary workers

iii) Both

13. Is ration provided freely or a price is deducted from the wages of the

labourers?

i) Provided free

ii) Provided at a subsidized rate

14.

a) Is bonus paid to the labourers during the festival seasons? Yes / no

b) What was the rate of bonus and when it was paid last?

____________________

15. Are the following provisions provided by the garden management when the

workers are at work:

1. Free Quarter facility

2. Clean drinking water

3 Electricity

3 Canteen facility

5 Recreation facility

6 Shelter for taking rest during work

7 Medical facilities

8 Lavatories

9 Umbrellas and raincoat

10 Blanket

16. Are the problems of the labourers properly looked into by the management?

Yes / no

17. How do you settle the grievances of the labours?

18. Are there any safety measures adopted by the management to prevent or cut

down the risk of accidents that may arise. Please state.

19. What are your views regarding the present absenteeism policy of the Mancotta

Tea Estate.

i) Good

ii) Fair

iii) Not up to the mark

iv) Bad

20. Do you have any scheme for controlling the problem of absenteeism in the

near future? Yes/ No

21. If yes, please explain the measures to be taken:

ANNEXURE – III

Interview Schedule of the Labourers:

1. Name:

2.

a) Age:

b) Education: Illiterate / Class I – IV / Class V – VII / Class VIII – X / Above

X

3. Sex: Male / Female

4. Marital status: Married/ Unmarried

5. Do you have children? Yes / No

6. If yes,

Boys Girls Total

7. Nature of the job:

8. Job status: Permanent/ Temporary

9. For how many years have you been working as:

Length of service No. of years

0 – 1 yr

1 – 2 yrs

2 – 5 yrs

5 – 10 yrs

Above 10 yrs

10. On what basis is your wage paid:

i) Daily

ii) Weekly

iii) Fortnightly

iv) Monthly

11. Wage (in `):

i) Less than 1000

ii) 1001 – 2000

iii) 2001 – 3000

iv) 3001 and above.

12. Is the wage you earn satisfying? Yes / No

13. Do you think your wage rates should be increased? Yes / No

14. Do you get desired bonus during the festival season? Yes/ No

15. Have you got the demanded bonus this season? Yes / No

16. Do you get enough holidays in a month? Yes / No.

17. Do you desire for more holidays in a month? Yes / No.

18. Do you go to work every day? Yes / No.

19. If yes,

i) Everyday

ii) 5 – 6 days a week

iii) 3 – 4 days a week

iv) Less than 3 days a week

20. Do you take a break from work during the working days? Yes / No.

21. Have you taken a break from work this week?

i) No

ii) 1 day

iii) 2 days

iv) More than 2 days

22. Does regular working in the factory/garden affect your health? Yes / No.

23. If yes, is the limit of affect

i) Severe

ii) To some extend

iii) Starting to affect

24. Is this a reason you are being unable to come to work regularly. Yes / No.

25. For how many days have you been absent on this ground.

Last one week Last one month

1 day 1 – 2 days

2 days 2 – 4 days

3 days 4 – 6 days

More than 3 days More than 6 days

26. Do you have your old parents staying with you? Yes / No.

27. Is the health condition of your parents good? Yes / No.

28. Is there any other person in the family besides you to look after your parents

during illness?

Yes / No.

29. Do you need to be absent from work for this reason? Yes / No.

30. For how many days do you have to be absent due to your parents’ bad health?

Last one week Last one month

None None

1 day 1 – 2 days

2 days 2 – 4 days

More than 2 days More than 4 days

31. Is the health condition of your husband / wife good? Yes / No.

32. Is there anyone except you who have to look after him / her during illness?

Yes / No.

33. Do you have to remain absent from work for this reason? Yes / No.

34. For how many days do you have to be absent on this ground?

Last one week Last one month

None None

1 day 1 – 2 days

2 days 2 – 4 days

More than 2 days More than 4 days

35. Is the health condition of your child always good? Yes / No.

36. Is there any other person except you in your house to look after your child?

Yes / No.

37. Do you have to remain absent for this purpose. Yes / No.

38. For how many days do you have to be absent on this ground?

Last one week Last one month

None None

1 day 1 – 2 days

2 days 2 – 4 days

More than 2 days More than 4 days

39. Do you get the adequate treatment that should be provided by the garden

authority? Yes/ No.

40. Doing the same type of job everyday is a boring task. Do you work for any

alternative source of income?

i) Yes, often

ii) Sometimes

iii) No

41. Is there any wage earner except you in your family? Yes / No.

42. Do your husband / wife work in this garden? Yes / No.

43. Is it possible for you to get wage when you remain absent? Yes / No.

44. Is it not difficult to maintain a living if you remain absent from work? Yes / No

45. If yes, how do you manage you’re living then?

i) Borrow loans

ii) Have alternative source of income

iii) No income.

46. Is free ration provided to you by the garden authority? Yes / No.

47. Is a part of the cost of ration deducted from your wage? Yes / No.

48. Are firewood provided to you from the garden authority? Yes / No.

49. Are you provided with umbrellas and raincoats during the rainy season by the

garden authority? Yes / No.

50. Are you provided with blankets during the winter season by the garden

authority? Yes / No.

51. Do you sometimes have to work overtime? Yes / No.

52. Doesn’t overtime work make you tired and fatigue. Yes / No.

53. Do you go for social festivals and ceremonies? Yes / No.

54. Do you feel to work during the festival season? Yes / No.

55. Even immediately after the festivals do you feel like going for work. Yes / No.

56. How many days after the festival do you feel like going to work.

i) 1 – 2 days

ii) 2 – 3 days

iii) 3 – 4 days

iv) More than 4 days

57. As the climate in the garden region is cool and damp, is consuming of alcohol

necessary in such conditions? Yes / No.

58. Is the wine you consume prepared in your homes? Yes / No.

59. Do you have to buy it from other places? Yes / No.

60. Isn’t a good part of your wage is spent on it? Yes / No.

61. Do you have to remain absent from work due to over drinking. Yes / No.

62. Are you aware that by remaining absent you lose your wage? Yes / No.

63. Do you know that staying absent from work for a long time can decrease the

production of the garden? Yes / No.

64. Do you realize that being absent from work affects the morale of the other

workers present? Yes / No.

65. Do you think that being absent from work affects the quality of work in the

garden. Yes / No.

66. Lastly, do you sometimes remain absent from work for no reason. Yes / No.