Mumbai-based founder fines late employees Rs 200, ends up paying Rs 1,000 himself

Mumbai-based founder fines late employees Rs 200, ends up paying Rs 1,000 himself

In an effort to boost workplace productivity, Kaushal Shah, founder of the Mumbai-based beauty brand Evor Beauty, recently implemented a new rule mandating that all employees arrive at the office by 9:30 am. Failure to adhere to this rule could result in a Rs 200 fine for the latecomer. However, the initiative took an unexpected consequence when Shah himself had to pay Rs 1,000 in fines for arriving late.

Shah shared his experience on X, detailing the new rule and its unexpected outcome. "Last week, to increase productivity in the office, I made a strict rule for everyone to be in the office by 9:30 am (earlier we used to come by 10-11) and if we're late, we pay ₹200 as a penalty." "This is me paying it for the 5th time," he added accompanied by a screenshot of his Rs 200 transaction as proof.

The new rule, which was designed to promote punctuality among employees, dictates that the collected fines be used exclusively for team activities and benefits, such as dining and other events. "The money will be used solely for team activities and benefits," Shah told Hindustan Times.

Shah's candid admission amused many on X, where users praised him for holding himself to the same standards as his employees. "Appreciate your honesty and the contribution. Always lead by example," one user wrote.

Another user commented, "Leadership by example!"

Some, however, questioned the destination of the fines and termed the system as "toxic work culture".

"Paid to self," quipped one commenter. Another user queried, "Paying to whom? Your current account?"

"This is horrible. Didn't expect this from you. Bro to save the Rs 200  someone can rush. What if they get into an accident or something? Don't  play with low earning people," a user remarked.

Another user added, "One word: Toxicity."

In response to these concerns, Shah clarified in a follow-up post that he had established a separate UPI Lite account specifically for collecting the fines. "For the concern about paying the penalty to my own UPI wallet, please note that I have created a separate UPI Lite account specifically as a team fund," he wrote. "The money collected is used solely for team activities and benefits, such as dining and other team events."

Shah emphasised that his intention in sharing the rule on social media was to hold himself and other leaders accountable. "If you establish a rule for your employees, you must be the first to follow it," he stated.