Waking up with a runny nose, a loved one being unwell, or an appointment that cannot be rescheduled. Most employees usually have a valid reason to justify needing a day off. This is good practice no doubt, but most employees wait till they 'need' a day off to take one.
What some of them may not be aware of, is the fact that there are some leaves they are eligible to take.
"The system of earned leaves is governed by two major acts, the Factories Act for manufacturing units, and the Shops and Establishment Act for service sectors. The system calls for 20 working days before the employee gets a fully paid leave. This basically adds up to 15 to 20 days in a year," said Rajneesh Singh, chief executive officer of Simpli Group.
Company policies about leaves lapsing, when they can be encashed, or carried forward and taken together might vary. However, irrespective of this, employees should be aware of the fact that their salary will not be cut even if they take multiple earned leaves in a month.
"If employees have not taken these leaves, they can be encashed based on the basic salary. It's best that these leaves are taken after understanding company policies and not encashed unless that's needed," said Singh.
New Employees Take Note
Newbies might not be aware of the various categories of leaves available. The fine print may not be the most exciting read, but these policies, benefits and other information are available in the official documents such as their contract or the company policy.
"Many are not aware of the policies. While I was in India, I did not bother to check either. Now that I work away from home, and want to go home for vacation, I made enquiries and learnt about the leave policy," said Beulah Domink, an employee at a fintech company.
Also, remember, when leaves are encashed, only the basic salary is given.
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