Supreme Court, in the case of Allahabad Bank and Others vs. Avtar Bhushan Bhartiya, clarified the legal position on proof of gainful employment while claiming reinstatement with back wages. It held that in the first instance, there is an obligation on the part of an employee to plead that he is not gainfully employed. It is only then that the burden would shift upon the employer to make an assertion and establish that the employee was gainfully employed. This Connect highlights the changed views of the apex court and its reasoning in this case.