Difference between a Mandatory and a Flexi Holiday – CloveHRMS
In the corporate world, leave and holidays are very important. They ensure that my employees aren’t getting tired from working every day. However, the nature of leave and holidays differs from one another. While leave can be taken on almost any day, the holidays are predefined. You can take a holiday on the day they are meant to be.
But there’s an exception, which you can only learn about if you know that there are two types of holidays, namely mandatory and flexible holidays. Both of these two types of holidays are slightly different from one another, and Flexi is the one that makes a holiday look like a leave. Understanding the difference between these two can help employees and employers make the most of their time off.
Mandatory or Statutory Holiday Meaning
Let’s start by understanding mandatory or statutory holiday meaning. As its name refers, a mandatory holiday is a holiday that is mandatory to be opted for by an employee and given by an employer. Any employer can’t deny this holiday, and the dates when these holidays are given are also prefixed. For example, the National Holidays of India, like the 15th of August and the 26th of January, are two of the mandatory holidays. These holidays always occur on the same date every year. That’s why the admin or hr can easily create a calendar for mandatory holidays for the upcoming year. There are some other examples of mandatory holidays, like Christmas, which is celebrated on the 25th of December. These holidays are widely accepted by organizations, including both the private and public sectors.
Benefits of Mandatory Holiday
Let’s look at some of the benefits of Mandatory Holidays.
1) Guranteed Rest
With these holidays, an employee gets guaranteed rest and is not obligated to do any work on that day. The employer can’t turn these holidays into working days.
2) Cultural Significance
These holidays also ensure that the employees have time to celebrate the day, which mostly marks very important cultural significance. For example, Indians celebrate the 15th of August as the day of their independence, which is historically very significant and crucial. They watch the parade on television and also fly kites on that day.
3) Work-Life Balance
Along with these two benefits, these holidays also perform the function of a regular day off from work. They let the employee shed some load off their shoulders and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Flexi Holiday Meaning
Now, let’s discuss the Flexi meaning. These holidays are flexible, as you guess from its name. Basically, these holidays are assigned to an employee for those cultural and social festivals which can’t be marked on a particular date. So, it is up to the employee to decide when to take this holiday. However, it doesn’t mean that you can voluntarily take it any day of the year. Let’s look at what it actually means with a simple example. Eid and Diwali are two very prominent festivals in India, and neither of these festivals is fixed according to the English calendar. So, assigning a fixed date will not work as the employees may not get the work off on the right date. So, these holidays are assigned as Flexi Holidays, which are announced once the festival’s date is confirmed.
Moreover, these holidays are not set by the government. So, it completely depends on the organization whether or not to declare it a festival as a flexi Holiday.
Good to Read:- What is Short Leave? | Meaning & Definition
Benefits of Flexi Holiday
Here are some of the benefits of Flexi Holiday:
1) Personalized Time Off
Firstly, it allows the employee to personalize the time off as per their needs. So, it is important that the employees get time off on the day on which they celebrate the festival.
2) Improved Satisfaction
It also improves employee satisfaction as the employees don’t have to forcibly come to work on a day on which they should be in their homes with their families.
Now that you know the mandatory and flexi holiday meaning, Let’s see how they affect both employee and employer.
How Mandatory and Flexi Holidays Impact Employees?
Let’s have a look at how these two types of holidays can impact the employees differently.
1) Mandatory Holiday
Firstly, these holidays are predictable, so an employee can preplan the holiday. For example, independence day is celebrated on the 15th of August, which lets the employee plan the day in advance.
2) Flexi Holiday
Flexi Holidays, on the other hand, can’t be predicted 100%. It is because they mostly depend on something else, like the moon, and have no fixed date of occurrence. However, the employees should still take a holiday on the day they want to.
Good to Read:- What is Restricted Holiday? | Meaning & Definition
How Mandatory and Flexi Holidays Impact Employers?
Here is how these holidays impact the employers or the organization:
1) Mandatory Holiday
Being Predictable in nature is also great for employers. This is because employers and the management team can schedule their work plans accordingly. The holidays are already known to the organization and help to set up achievable targets.
Moreover, they can legally affect the employer if they don’t provide their employees with a holiday. So, it can be legal trouble for them if they do not comply.
2) Flexi Holiday
Flexi Holiday keeps uncertainty, which can make it hard to set targets and deadlines. The management team has to work with a guess as they don’t know which employee can be absent.
However, not giving holidays to employees will not cause any legal trouble for them. So, they are safe as there’s no mandatory compliance.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between mandatory and flexi holidays is crucial for both employees and employers. While mandatory holidays ensure everyone gets a break during important cultural or national events, flexi holidays offer personalized time off that can improve job satisfaction and work-life balance. By implementing both types of holidays effectively, organizations can create a more supportive and flexible work environment that benefits everyone.
In conclusion, both mandatory and flexi holidays play vital roles in maintaining a healthy, productive, and satisfied workforce. By respecting the importance of each and integrating them thoughtfully into the workplace, employers can foster a more harmonious and efficient working environment.
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