Notice and the handover timeline
Distributors usually set a longer notice for salesmen than for loaders, because a beat takes time to hand over: for example 30 days for salesmen and supervisors after confirmation and 15 days for godown staff, with shorter notice during probation. The work terms policy holds both figures, with grade overrides. Enter the resignation in ZeniaHR on the day it is handed in, and from then on the employee record shows the last working day and an on notice status.
- Day 1: resignation recorded, successor or reliever named
- Weeks 1 to 3: beat walked together, outstanding list reconciled
- Last week: final collections settled, devices and keys returned
- Within two working days of leaving: full and final paid
Handing over the beat and the outstanding
The outstanding list, the money retailers still owe for past deliveries, is the heart of the handover. Reconcile it with the accountant, walk the beat with the successor so every retailer knows who comes next, and collect what can be collected before the last day. Pending orders and scheme claims go to the successor in writing. A salesman who leaves with the outstanding unreconciled leaves the distributor chasing money it cannot prove.
Cash, devices and keys
Collect any company phone or tablet used for order booking, the godown and van keys, the ID card and the cash receipt books, and settle the last day's cash with the cashier. Logins to the distributor management software are switched off outside ZeniaHR on the last day. Tick off the HR side in ZeniaHR's 8-item exit checklist, and upload the signed beat handover and the outstanding reconciliation to the employee's documents.
Settling on time and rehiring
Wages owed to a leaver fall due within two working days, however the employment ended, so the settlement runs as an off-cycle payroll. It covers salary for the days worked, incentive on the month's sales to date if the scheme allows it, leave encashment and gratuity after five years of continuous service, less any advance still owed. Recover a cash shortage only after an inquiry and within the permitted deductions from wages. Log one of the 20 structured exit reasons; three salesmen leaving for the same competitor tells you something. Salesmen who left on good terms are worth a call when a beat falls vacant, so keep them in the previous employees list.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- In the work terms policy, set notice by grade, with longer notice for salesmen and supervisors than for godown staff.
- Record each resignation the day it is handed in, and name the successor or reliever that same day.
- Before the last day, upload the signed beat handover and the outstanding reconciliation to the employee's documents.
- Complete the 8-item exit checklist and pick one of the 20 exit reasons for every leaver.
- Pay the full and final by off-cycle payroll inside two working days, recovering advances as agreed.
Read more about employee records and exits in ZeniaHR.
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What is the notice period for distributor salesmen?
Often 30 days after confirmation and shorter during probation, because a beat takes a few weeks to hand over properly. Godown staff usually serve less. Put the notice in the appointment letter, configure it by grade, and use the notice period to walk the beat with the successor.
How should a salesman hand over his beat?
By walking it with the successor, introducing every retailer, handing over pending orders and scheme claims in writing, and reconciling the outstanding list with the accountant. Collect what can be collected before the last day, and file the signed handover in the employee's documents.
Can a distributor hold a salesman's dues until collections are cleared?
No. The pay owed to someone who leaves falls due within two working days of the exit, whatever its cause, however much is still outstanding in the market. Plan the handover so collections are reconciled during notice, recover only what the law on deductions from wages allows, and pay the rest on time.