HR software for printing and packaging units in India
A printing or packaging unit runs presses around the clock and takes on extra hands before a peak run. Offrd covers named machine shifts, batch intake of seasonal workers, appointment letters that are now compulsory for all of them, and payroll with EPF, ESI and professional tax computed, at ₹50 per active worker a month.
Last updated 24 August 2026
Why a press floor is awkward for ordinary HR software
Three things make it awkward, and none of them are exotic. The floor runs shifts, the headcount swells before a peak run and drops after it, and a large share of the workforce is on the shop floor rather than at a desk with a work email address.
Most HR platforms assume the opposite of all three. They assume a general shift, stable headcount and an employee who can be sent a login. Applied to a converting line running second shift in October, that assumption produces a system nobody uses and a register that stays in the supervisor's drawer.
The consequence is not usually a payroll error. It is an evidence gap. When a labour inspection asks what hours a particular operator worked in a particular week, the honest answer is often that the wage register says one thing and the gate register says another.
Machine shifts as named schedules
A shift is an object here, not a preference. First, second, third, general, each with its own start time, end time and grace period. An operator is assigned to one for a date range, and rotating a converting team from second to third is a reassignment rather than a rebuild.
Attendance is marked by QR code at the floor entrance, which needs nothing installed on an operator's phone, or by biometric device sync if you already own fingerprint or facial readers. Break splits are recorded, so a shift allowance keyed to hours actually worked has something behind it. The roster imports from CSV, with reporting manager and unit in the same row.
Six reports come out of it: attendance log, attendance summary, monthly attendance, field work, geofence and leave request. For a unit with a second site, each is a separate site with its own geofence radius, and the professional tax slab follows from that site's PIN code without anyone consulting a table.
The peak run intake
Festive and export peaks bring in a batch of extra hands, and the paperwork for that batch is where units most often fall behind. Written appointment letters became compulsory for every employee under the Labour Codes that took effect on 21 November 2025. There is no seasonal exception.
Bulk employee import takes a batch in from one CSV. Onboarding then collects Aadhaar, PAN, bank details and UAN digitally from each person, on a phone browser, so a worker without a laptop or an email address is not a blocker. Appointment letters generate from the salary structure you set, with basic defaulting to 50 percent of CTC under the Code on Wages 2019 rule.
Fixed term workers become eligible for gratuity after one year under the same codes, rather than five. A unit that brings the same seasonal crew back each year should look carefully at whether those spells are being treated as continuous service, because that decision changes what is owed.
| Document | When | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment letter | Every hire, seasonal included | 10 |
| Onboarding pack | Aadhaar, PAN, bank, UAN capture | 15 |
| Payslip | Monthly, per worker | 2 |
| Confirmation letter | End of probation | 5 |
| Relieving letter | End of a season or a resignation | 5 |
| Full and final settlement | Every exit, 19 deduction heads available | 10 |
Credit packs start at ₹99 for 10 and fall to about ₹8 a credit on the ₹1,999 pack. Signup gives you 50 free credits with no card.
Payroll that survives a variable month
The monthly run happens in an Excel style editor, in either Calendar Days or Working Days mode, with custom earning and deduction columns. An output linked or production linked component goes in as its own column and flows through to the payslip, while the statutory heads compute separately so the incentive does not distort the EPF or ESI base.
Statutory heads are computed, not filed. Provident fund runs at 12 percent from the employer and 12 from the worker, applied against the ₹15,000 wage ceiling under Para 26A. ESI is 3.25 percent employer and 0.75 percent worker up to a ₹21,000 gross ceiling. Professional tax comes from whichever state the unit's PIN code resolves to. Gratuity uses the statutory formula of wages by 15, by years of service, over 26. What Offrd will not do is submit anything: the ECR to EPFO and the 24Q to TRACES remain your CA's work, and they receive payroll already in EPF return format.
Payslips go out by email in batches, or download as PDFs to be handed over where email is not practical, which on a shop floor is most of the time. Detail on the payslip generator and the payroll module.
On contractor supplied labour: Offrd holds records for people you employ directly. The rules on contractor licensing and principal employer responsibility changed under the Labour Codes, so confirm your current obligation with your legal advisor rather than working from the thresholds you remember.
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Questions from unit heads and HR
- How do you handle three shift running on press and converting lines?
- Shifts are named schedules with their own start, end and grace period, and an operator is assigned to one for a date range. Rotating a converting team from second shift to third changes an assignment rather than rebuilding the roster. Break splits are recorded, which matters when a shift allowance is keyed to hours actually worked.
- Can we take on a batch of seasonal workers before a peak run?
- Yes. Bulk employee import brings a batch in from one CSV, and onboarding collects Aadhaar, PAN, bank details and UAN digitally from each person. Appointment letters generate from the same salary structure, so thirty seasonal hires do not become thirty separately typed letters.
- Do appointment letters apply to workers taken on for one season?
- Yes. Written appointment letters became compulsory for every employee under the Labour Codes that took effect on 21 November 2025, and the obligation does not distinguish between permanent and seasonal staff. Fixed term workers also become eligible for gratuity after one year of service under the same codes.
- Does the system handle piece linked earnings?
- Payroll runs in an Excel style editor with custom earning and deduction columns, so a production or output linked component goes in as its own column and flows through to the payslip. The statutory heads are computed separately, so the incentive does not distort the EPF or ESI calculation.
- What about workers supplied through a contractor?
- Offrd holds records for people you employ directly. Contractor supplied labour sits with the contractor, and the rules on contractor licensing and principal employer responsibility changed under the Labour Codes, so check your current obligation with your legal advisor rather than assuming the old thresholds still apply.
- Can we track attendance across two units in different states?
- Each unit is a site with its own geofence radius, and professional tax follows the state that unit's PIN code resolves to. One payroll cycle covers both, with payslips tagged to the unit the person worked at.
- What does it cost for a unit with 45 workers?
- 2,250 rupees a month at 50 rupees per active employee, with documents, payroll calculation, attendance with geofencing and leave included. There is no seat block and no minimum headcount, so a quiet month after a peak run bills at the lower headcount.
Get the seasonal crew on paper before the next run
Fifty free credits on signup, no card. Import the batch from a CSV and issue proper appointment letters the same day.
Statutory rates follow published rules from the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and ESIC, and the Labour Codes notified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Several thresholds vary by state. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own position with your CA or legal advisor. Questions to service@offrd.co.