THE Industrial and Commercial Emp­loyment (Standing Orders) Ordinance, 1968, is the most critical and frequently referred to labour enactment in Pakistan. It contains provisions relating to the classification of workmen, mandatory issuing of appointment letters, payment of profit bonus, retrenchment, termination of employment and a standing order relating to punishments.

Standing Order (SO) 15, relating to punishments, is one of the most used provisions of labour laws, which classifies the offences committed by employees into two categories. The first is in the case of an employee guilty of offences that aren’t serious — the employee is liable to be fined a nominal amount. The other is in the case of an employee guilty of an act of commission or omission, which has serious implications for the organisation — that employee is liable to be dismissed from service.

There is a comprehensive list of ‘misconducts’ in the SO, for which an employee may either be (i) fined; or (ii) his increment or promotion withheld for up to one year; or (iii) relegated to a lower post; or (iv) dismissed from service.

The key misconducts include “willful insubordination or disobedience to any lawful and reasonable order of a superior; theft,........

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