—Contributed by Deepak Miglani

The Payment of Gratuity Act does not prescribe any limitation to claim gratuity.

An employee can file an application for gratuity any time.

It is an obligation on the part of the employer to pay the gratuity after retirement or after termination of employee’s service. The employee should complete at least five years service to be entitled to receive gratuity.

Payment of gratuity is not a bounty to the employee by the employer. It is the right of an employee to claim gratuity. The employer can not delay in disbursement of gratuity. The amount should be disbursed without delay.