The role of the labour welfare officer evolved in 1931 from a royal commission to protect workers. The officer aims to eliminate jobbery and indebtedness, develop and improve labour administration, and serve as a liaison between workers and the state labour commission. Factory and mines acts from 1948 and 1952 require factories with 500+ workers to have one welfare officer, and those with 2500+ to have additional officers. The duties of a labour welfare officer include supervising health, safety and welfare programs; advising managers on policies and statutory obligations; and liaising between workers, management, and inspectors to enforce acts and resolve disputes. Counselling workers on workplace stress has also become an important role of the labour welfare officer.

1. LABOUR WELFARE OFFICER

2. EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT
 1931
 Royal commission on labour received their
appointment in order to protect labour from evils of
jobbery and indebtedness
 Object of taking one for their own gain
 Owing something

3. REVEALS THREE THINGS
 ELIMINATE
 DEVELOP AND IMPROVE LABOUR
ADMINISTRATION
 SERVE AS A LIASON WITH THE STATE
LABOUR COMMISSION

4. FACTORIES ACT 1948 AND MINES ACT 1952
 500 OR MORE –ONE LABOUR WELFARE
OFFICER
 EXCESS 2500-ADD ONE WELFARE OFFICER

5. FUNCTION /DUTIES OF LWO
 1. SUPERVISION: • Safety, health and welfare
programmes like housing, recreation and sanitation
services, as provided under the law. • Working of
joint committees; • Grant of leave with wages as
provided; and • Redress of workers’ grievances

6.  2. ADVICING MANAGERS IN THE MATTERS OF :
 • Formulating welfare policies; • Apprenticeship
training programs; • Complying with statutory
obligations to workers • Developing fringe benefits; •
Workers’ education

7.  3. LIAISONING: 3.1. Liaison with workers so that they
may - • Appreciate the need for harmonious industrial
relations in the plant; • Resolve disputes, if any; •
Understand the limitations under which they operate;
and • Interpret company policies correctly.
 3.2. Liaison with management so that they may: •
appreciate the worker’s view point on various matters
connected with the plant; • meet their obligations under
the Act; • maintain harmonious industrial relations in
the plant; • Suggest measures for the promotion of the
general well-being of workers.

8.  3.3. Liaison with inside factory agencies such as the
factory inspector, medical officers, and other
inspectors with a view to securing a proper
enforcement of the various Acts as applicable to the
plant;

9.  4. COUNSELLING: The latest trend catching up in
the corporate HR across the world is 'Employee
Counselling at Workplace'. In the world of ever
increasing complexity and the stress in the lives,
especially the workplaces of the employees,
employee counselling has emerged as the latest HR
tool to attract and retain its best employees and also
to increase the quality of the workforce.

10. II M.A HRM
2015-17
sowmya.m