Leave Policy

Objective

The Leave policy provides information on types of leave & their rules, leave combinations, minimum and maximum number of leaves that can be used, approval process, etc.

Online Leave Application in ESS

• The leave should be applied online in ESS through the ‘leave module’ in advance for planned leave and immediately after availing leave in case of emergency.
• In case of an emergency leave, intimation needs to be provided to immediate reporting manager/HR through mail before proceeding for leave.
• Timely approval in ESS should be accorded by reporting managers for marking leave entry in attendance.
• The leaves shall be automatically approved in ESS after 5 days duration within which the same can be rejected by the reporting managers.
• A notification is sent through the ESS for intimation for leave to the managers.
• There are various types of leaves like EL, PL,CL, FL, SL (also Special SL), Maternity Leave,Transfer Leave, and Special COVID Leave (Only in case of infection with COVID19).

Important things to know;

• Any leave/public holiday falling in between 2 absent days, shall be converted into ‘Absent’.
• Any sunday or holiday falling in between EL shall be considered as leave.

Casual Leave (CL)

• Employees are entitled for 7 days casual leave in a calendar year credited on pro-rata basis.
• Employees joining in the mid-year are allowed proportionate days corresponding to the number of months left in the calendar year.
• Casual leave cannot be availed for more than two consecutive days at a time.
• This leave cannot be carried forward to the next year & Un-availed Casual leaves shall lapse at the end of the Calendar Year.
• Sunday/Public holiday falling before, after or in between the casual leave are not counted as part of Casual leave.
• Casual Leave can be clubbed only with SL.

Sick Leave (SL)

• Employees are entitled for 5 days Sick leave in a calendar.
• Employees joining in the mid-year are allowed proportionate days corresponding to the number of months left in the calendar year.
• Sick leave availed for more than two consecutive day needs submission of medical certificate to HR.
• In case the medical certificate is not submitted in the given month of taking more than 2 days SL, then the leave type shall be changed to other leave (EL or PL) and the leaves shall not be treated as Sick leave.
• This leave can be carried forward and accumulated, maximum upto 30 days. Leaves upto 10 days can be used for normal sickness purpose. Leaves more than 10 days if available can be applied for during critical illness as per discretion from management.
• Sundays or any public holiday falling during the period of sick leave, prefixed or suffixed to the leave period shall not be counted as part of leave.
• Sick Leave can be clubbed with all leaves. In unforeseen circumstances where an employee falls sick immediately after pre-sanctioned Casual leave, Earned leave or Privilege leave, it can be suffixed or prefixed with other leave, subject to employee producing medical certificate for more than 2 days sick leave.

Earned leave (EL)

• The Maximum EL given to an employee is approximately 15 days in a calendar year as per the calculation given.
• An employee who has worked for a period of 90 days or more during a calendar year shall be allowed during the subsequent calendar year, leave with pay for number of days calculated at the rate of work performed by him during the previous calendar year.
• Earned Leave can be availed for more than two consecutive days i.e. minimum 3 days and maximum upto the no. of EL available, on maximum 3 occasions in a year.
• Un-availed earned leaves shall be carried forward to the next calendar year and can be accumulated maximum upto 30 days.
• EL exceeding 30 shall be encashed at the rate of prevailing monthly basic salary.
• Sundays, holidays and other weekly off days falling within the period of Leave shall be counted as part of Earned leave. This leave can be suffixed or prefixed with Public holiday or weekly holiday.
• Earned Leave cannot be clubbed with CL leave. In unforeseen circumstances where an employee falls sick immediately after pre-sanctioned Earned Leave, it can be clubbed with sick Leave subject to employee producing medical certificate for more than 2 days sick leave or with privilege leave subject to approval.

Privilege leave (PL)

• It is a special leave granted by employer as a part of employee welfare.
• Employees are entitled for 6 days PL in a calendar year, for new recruits this leave is credited on pro-rata basis after successful completion of Probation period/ training period.
• PL can be claimed thrice in a year in any combination.
• PL is special leave to be approved by management/ HOD only and shall be granted on case to case basis as per the justification provided by employees.
• This leave cannot be carried forward to the next year and un-availed PL shall lapse at the end of the calendar year.
• Sundays, holidays and other weekly off days falling within the period of leave, or as suffix /prefix are not counted as part of PL.
• PL can be clubbed with SL in unforeseen circumstances where an employee falls sick immediately after pre-sanctioned leave; it can be clubbed with SL subject to employee producing Medical Certificate for more than two days SL and also with EL subject to approval.
• It can be clubbed with single or both FL as a continuation leave.

Festival Leave (FL)

• Maximum two leaves are available in a calendar year.
• This leave is granted keeping in mind the sentiments of the team members who wish to celebrate festivals that are not covered in the declared holiday list with their family.
• It can be availed either for the listed festival holidays as declared by the company or by clubbing with the PL.
• FL can be taken one at a time and can be clubbed with other holiday types, and declared paid holidays, except it cannot be clubbed with CL.
• Both FL will act as PL if they are clubbed with PL. i.e. both FL can be taken together if it clubbed with single or more PL. When used only as FL, it can be taken only during festivals.
• The leave can be taken post approval of the reporting manager.
• Multiple FL request on a single day from team members of the same department during popular festivals will be approved on case to case basis by the reporting manager/ HOD in such a manner that the departmental work runs smoothly.

Maternity Leave (ML)

• Applicable for female employees for facilitating the child birth.
• Female Employees of the company are entitled for 26 weeks ML during pregnancy, maximum up to two children. Of the 26 weeks not more than eight weeks shall proceed the date of her expected delivery.
• Female employees are eligible when she is expecting a child and has worked for the company for at least 80 days in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of her expected date.
• The application for the Maternity Leave shall be supported with a copy of Medical Certificate from Registered Medical Practitioner.
• ML from third child onwards will continue to be for 12 weeks.
• Maternity leave of 12 weeks is required to be made available to mothers adopting a child below the age of three months as well as to the ‘commissioning mother’.
• Miscarriage Leave: In the unfortunate event of miscarriage female employees are entitled for Miscarriage Leave of 6 weeks from the date of Miscarriage. The application for the Miscarriage Leave shall be supported with a copy of Medical Certificate from Registered Medical Practitioner.

 Transfer Leave

• Employees transferred to different city/state for business requirements, shall be entitled to 3 days Transfer Leave, for household shifting.
• Transfer within the same city shall not be entitled to any leave.
• This Leave with pay may be availed with the consent of reporting officer up to a maximum of three days. The same shall be availed within three month of the transfer.

Special Leave for COVID

• To facilitate in recovery and as a consideration towards the well-being of the staff on getting infected by COVID19, a special leave of 7 days has been declared for absence from duty.
• This leave can be applied by providing a copy of self COVID Test report from authorised testing centre to HR. The report should indicate that the employee is positively infected by COVID.
• This leave shall be inclusive of any holiday or weekend off.

Leave Applicability for Trainees:

• The trainees are entitled for 2 types of leave during the period of training i.e. CL: 7 days and SL: 5 days.
• On successful completion of training period the balance leaves like PL and FL shall be credited on pro-rata basis.
• EL would be credited on completion of minimum 90 working days in the year at the beginning of the subsequent year.
• All leaves as per the leave policy on confirmation post completion of one year shall apply thereafter.

Table 1: Leaves at Snapshot

Leave Types*	CL	SL	EL	PL	FL
Entitlement	7 days in a calendar year	5 days in a calendar year	15 days in a calendar year	6 days in a calendar year	2 days in a calendar year
When the leave is credited / can be availed	Beginning of calendar year	Beginning of calendar year	Beginning of subsequent year for previous year	Beginning of calendar year	Beginning of calendar year
Leaves available before confirmation	Credited on joining	Credited on joining	Credited on completion of min 90 days of working on pro-rata basis	Credited on pro-rata basis on confirmation for the remaining days in calendar year.	Credited post confirmation
How many days at a time	Min- 0.5 day , Max-2 days	Min- 0.5 day, Medical Certificate required for more than 2 days	Min- 3 days & not more than 3 occasions	Min- 1 day, Max- 6 days, not more than thrice in a year. (Approved by HOD/functional heads only)	Min 1 day at a time if used for festivals. Both can be used if clubbed with PL.
Can it be accumulated	No	Yes, Up to 10 days	Yes, up to 30 days	No	No
When does one apply for leave	Preferably in advance otherwise should  intimate	Immediately after resuming duty but should intimate.	15 days in advance.	In advance	For listed festivals as declared in ESS or in combination with PL.
Accounting of intervening holidays	Prefix , suffix & intervening weekend/ Public holidays will not be treated as leave	Prefix , suffix & intervening weekend/ Public holidays will not be treated as leave	Intervening weekend/ Public holidays will be treated as leave, prefix & / or suffix will not be treated as leave	Prefix , suffix & intervening weekend/ Public holidays will not be treated as leave	Prefix , suffix weekend/ Public holidays will not be treated as leave if festival falls in combination
combination with other leave	Yes, with SL	Yes, with CL, EL & PL as an exception	Yes with PL /SL	Yes with EL/ SL/FL Can be clubbed with both FL together.	Yes with PL/EL/ SL. If clubbed with PL, it shall be treated as PL.
Encashment	NA	NA	Yes, On basic Salary.	NA	NA

Unauthorised Absence

• If an employee remains absent, unauthorised or without intimation, overstays the period of leave originally granted or subsequently extended, for a period of 10 consecutive days, the statutory procedure shall be initiated.

Leave during Notice Period:

• Employees are not entitled for any leave during the Notice Period.
• Any absence during the Notice Period will be treated as shortfall in notice period and the necessary adjustment shall be done in the full and final settlement.