Out of many roles that lie under Human Resources, the most important and attention-seeking role is leave management. It is a very crucial part of any organization. All this leave management work is drawn under the HR Leave Policy documentation.
HR Leave Policy for Employees
HR leave policy is the document that includes all the set of rules that define a company’s leave policy. It includes the leave rules, leave types, weekend offs policy, and holiday list. In an HR leave policy, it is essential to maintain equilibrium between both parties without following a bias.
It is done with the help of the rules that are drafted in the HR policy. These rules define the purpose of the types of leave, when a particular type of leave will be applicable, what can be the period of leave and many more. HR leave policy is always shared with the new joining employees so that they can be aware of their rights.
So, now let’s learn about the essential components of an HR leave policy.
Structure of an HR Leave Policy
The formulation of an HR Leave Policy should include this information that helps HR in leave policy design
1) Public holidays
There should be a mention of all public holidays an employee will have without needing the application. It includes the three national holidays along with festive holidays such as Eid, Diwali, and Christmas.
2) Types of leaves
You should also mention the types of leaves offered to an employee, along with the policy of its acceptance and denial. Moreover, you should also draft the rules for unpaid leave where employees can take leave even if there is no paid leave left. In this case, the daily wage gets deducted from the employee’s salary.
3) Weekend-off Policy
You should also mention your weekend-off policy. It can be either all Saturdays and Sundays off or alternate Saturdays and all Sundays off. These two are the most implemented types of weekend-off policies.
Now that you know the composition of an HR leave policy, let’s briefly discuss an important component: the leave types.
What are the types of leave?
There are many types of leave in India that an organization has to include in its HR leave policy. Here are the types of leaves typically seen in corporate companies’ HR leave policies.
1) Sick Leave
Sick leave is when an employee falls ill and cannot come to the office. In such cases, the employee can utilize the sick leave for a maximum of seven days. However, the employer can demand a medical report or certificate if the sick leave is available for over three days.
2) Earned Leave
An employee earns one and a half days of leave if worked for a month. It is also a mandatory leave type. Moreover, these earned leave can also be carried forward by an employee to the following year. However, the maximum number that the earned leave can add up to is 45 days.
3) Casual leave
An employee can use casual leave for various reasons. Casual leave can also be taken if the employee feels tired of work. It can be taken for a maximum of four days. Moreover, it is on the organization to add or not to add casual leave to the HR policy.
4) Maternity and Paternity Leave
These two types of leaves are particularly for female and male staff, respectively. The maternity leave period is a fully paid period for pregnant employees. Moreover, the leave taken by a male employee within 15 days of the child’s birth is called paternity leave. These leaves are generally of 26 weeks for maternity and seven days for paternity leave.
5) Leave without Pay (LWP)
Apart from these leaves, LWP is also offered to employees to get leave in emergency cases if all their leaves are exhausted.
Final Words
HR leave policy is a vital part of a company that should be drafted very carefully, keeping in mind that it is not violating employees’ rights. While drafting an HR leave policy, it would be good to make it transparent. The language used in an HR Leave Policy should be comforting so that it can positively impact employees about your company and its culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Which type of leave is mandatory in companies?
Sick and earned leaves are mandatory in an HR leave policy. These leaves can’t be excluded from the policy.
2) What is the important law to adhere to while drafting an HR leave policy?
You should adhere to the labor laws to draft an error-free leave policy. It is important to comply with these and other associated laws to avoid legal troubles.
3) What is the maximum duration of sick leave?
Sick leave can be taken for a maximum of seven days. However, you can mandate medical certification for more than three days of sick leave to prevent leave exploitation by employees.
