This Christmas season, companies grant a new “leave” and grant more holidays on Diwali

Work-life balance is in the center of attention, they see the party. And India Inc is going the extra mile for employees: giving four to nine days off during Diwali, work flexibility, floating leaves and even doing away with so-called sandwich leaves, industry executives said.

Companies like DeloitteJSW MG engine, Meesho, mintraHe Good Glamm groupXYXX, CashKaro and EarnKaro are allowing their workforce more time off, believing such breaks help employees spend more time with friends and family and return to work rejuvenated and charged, executives said.

For the fourth year in a row, e-commerce company Meesho has announced a company-wide nine-day “reset and recharge” break, from October 26 to November 3, for its 1,500 employees.

“This is part of our broader MeeCARE wellness program, designed to support a healthy work-life balance, allowing employees to recharge physically, mentally and emotionally while enjoying quality time with their loved ones during this time. special of the year,” said Ashish Kumar Singh. , chief human resources officer at Meesho, in an email to ET.

Myntra employees will have additional vacation from October 31 to November 4, for a longer Diwali break. “To ensure that our employees can recharge and celebrate with their loved ones, we have implemented a company-wide leave policy that coincides with the Diwali weekend,” said Govindraj MK, chief human resources officer, Myntra. Combined with the Christmas holidays, this gives everyone a well-deserved five-day break, he said.

Deloitte has two days off for Diwali, followed by the weekend.

Pre-arranged days off throughout the year

“We also encourage our people to take days off, where one can take a couple of days between holidays and weekends for an extended break,” said Deepti Sagar, chief people and experience officer at Deloitte India. Throughout the year, guidance for employees is to take advantage of at least two days of leave per quarter, he said. At menswear brand XYXX, in addition to pre-arranged days off and leave, each employee has the option to take “floating” vacations. . “This allows them to celebrate festivals that have personal meaning for them, be it Eid, Pujo, Navratri, Chhath Puja or any other,” said Petal Gangurde, head of brand and culture, XYXX.

Employees can decide when to take paid leave as part of the floating leave policy. Many companies, including XYXX, now support the culture of leisure all year round. However, for many employees who live far from their hometowns and families, the holiday season is an ideal time to take longer breaks.

“We support this by giving them flexibility, allowing them to take as much time as they need or even work from their hometown for a couple of weeks if necessary,” Gangurde said.

CashKaro and EarnKaro (part of CashKaro) have established a specific paid leave policy for major holidays. “In addition to our standard annual leave, we offer employees 13 paid holidays to mark these special occasions,” said Rohan Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro and EarnKaro.

CashKaro is giving additional leave during Diwali, making it a four-day break, Bhargava said. “This allows our team members to fully immerse themselves in the festivities and traditions.” The company also recently eliminated the sandwich leave policy.

Sandwich leaves refer to non-working days, such as weekends or holidays, that are counted as part of an employee’s leave if they fall between regular leaves. For example, if an employee takes leave on Friday and Monday, the intervening weekend is counted among the leave days.

Beauty and personal care conglomerate The Good Glamm Group, instead of allocating extra days off for specific festivals, is offering flexibility to its more than 800 employees to take time off during special occasions. Similarly, JSW MG Motor India has implemented a strategic approach to work-life integration through its comprehensive leave policy and flexible work arrangementssaid Yeshwinder Patial, Senior Director, Human Resources.