Share This - x The Supreme Court observed that compassionate employment cannot be granted after a lapse of reasonable period. Consideration of such employment is not a vested right which can be exercised at any time in the future, the bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat observed. In this case, the wife of an employee who was missing since 2002 requested the Central Coalfields Limited for compassionate appointment of her son. This was rejected on the ground that the employee was already dismissed from service and therefore, the request for compassionate appointment could not be entertained. The High Court, allowing the writ petition filed by the wife, quashed the order of termination and directed the company to consider the claim of compassionate appointment of the son in accordance with law. The Division Bench upheld the finding of the Single Judge of the High Court that there is no clause in the National Coal Wage Agreement which prevents a claim for compassionate appointment on the ground that another member of the family is in service