India Holiday & Leave Entitlement Policy: A Complete Overview

India's Holiday and Leave Entitlement Policy provides paid time off for public holidays, festival holidays and annual leave. The number of public holidays varies by state while festival holidays depend on region and religion.

The policy mandates benefits like annual leave, sick leave and maternity leave. Employees get time off with pay on national holidays and regional festivals. For annual leave, employees are entitled to a minimum of 12 days per year. New mothers receive up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave if they worked at least 80 days in the past year.

The Act aims to help workers balance work and personal life. Employers providing generous benefits can boost morale and retention. India's leave policies set a solid baseline to improve work-life harmony. Employers must comply with minimum leave entitlements but are free to provide even better benefits. A robust Holiday and Leave Policy balances needs of employees and the organization.

Public Holiday

Public holidays are typically paid leave for employees in India. 

The number of public holidays may vary depending on the state and region, but employees are generally entitled to paid time off for the following national holidays:

Republic Day - 26th January

Independence Day - 15th August

Gandhi Jayanti - 2nd October

Employees may also be entitled to paid time off for the following regional or religious

holidays, depending on the state and region:

Holi - a Hindu festival celebrated in March

Diwali - a Hindu festival of lights celebrated in October or November

Eid al-Fitr - a Muslim festival celebrated at the end of Ramadan

Christmas - a Christian festival celebrated on 25th December

Other holidays that may be observed in certain states or regions include:

Bihu - a festival celebrated in Assam

Pongal - a festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu

Onam - a festival celebrated in Kerala

Leave Entitlement Policy in India

In India, the Leave Entitlement Policy is an important aspect of employment law that sets out the types of leave that employees are entitled to and the procedures for granting and applying for them. This policy covers various types of leave, such as annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, and public holidays. Its purpose is to ensure that employees receive their entitled leave, and employers comply with all regulations related to leave entitlements.

Types of Leave

In addition to the main types of leave mentioned earlier, there are some other types of leave available to employees in India:

Casual leave

Employees may be entitled to a certain number of days of paid casual leave each year. This type of leave is typically used for short-term absences, such as personal appointments or family emergencies.

Compensatory leave

Compensatory leave is a type of paid time off that employees may receive for working on a public holiday or taking on additional work outside of their normal hours. It is also known as Compensatory Off or Comp Off. Employers must maintain accurate records of hours worked, and employees must follow procedures for requesting and taking leave.

Privileged Leave

Under the country's employment law, employees are entitled to a certain number of paid days off each year, which can be accumulated over time. This accumulated leave is commonly referred to as Privileged Leave or Earned Leave.

The number of days of Privileged Leave entitlements may vary depending on the employee's level of seniority, years of service, and the company's policies. In general, employees are entitled to a minimum of 15 days of Privileged Leave per year, which can accumulate up to a maximum of 300 days.

Study leave

Employees may be granted paid study leave to pursue further education or training related to their job.

Child care leave

Female employees with children below the age of 18 may be entitled to paid child care leave for up to two years. It allows them to take paid time off to take care of their child's needs. Female employees can take up to 730 days of Child Care Leave during their entire service period.

Maternity Benefit Act

In addition to maternity leave, female employees are also entitled to other benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act, such as medical allowances and nursing breaks.

This act is a piece of legislation that provides female employees with benefits during and after pregnancy. Under the Act, female employees are entitled to a minimum of 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. This leave can be taken up to eight weeks before the expected due date and up to 18 weeks after the delivery.

In addition to maternity leave, female employees are also entitled to other benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act, such as medical allowances and nursing breaks. Employers must comply with all regulations related to maternity leave entitlements and provide their employees with the entitled benefits.

*The Maternity Benefit Act applies to all establishments that employ 10 or more people. It is important for employers to understand their obligations under the Act and provide their employees with the necessary benefits.
 

Feel free to contact us via hello@recruitery.co for further assistance.