Treatment of Weekly Holiday in case of long Leave

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was on leave for 20 days starting from the 5th of February (Monday) to the 24th of February 2018 (Saturday), but I rejoined my office on the 26th of February (Monday) as the 25th of February (Sunday) is my weekly holiday. Kindly clarify whether my total leave in the last month is 20 days, 21 days, or 22 days, as my HR Manager is stating that the 4th of February (Sunday) and the 25th of February (Sunday) will be added to my leave days and will not be treated as weekly holidays.

Thanks & Regards,
B B Sahoo.

Dear BB Sahoo,

In your case, 5th Feb 2018 and 25th Feb 2018 would be called prefix and suffix, respectively. Prefixes and suffixes are not counted as leave. You may tell your HR Manager to provide the information on the provisions under which labor law he is considering prefix and suffix as leave. This is the biggest online forum for HR professionals. He may approach us and seek clarification.

Do you have a well-documented policy on Employee Leave? In many companies, the definitions of prefix, suffix, etc., are given to avoid interpretations that suit the respective person.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

Thank you, Mr. Dinesh Divekar, for your valuable information.

Thanks & Regards,

B. B. Sahoo.

HR managers need to understand that prefixes and suffixes do not determine leave. Their knowledge on this aspect needs to be updated.

When Sunday is declared as the weekly day off for all staff in your company, the office is closed, so you cannot work on the 25th even if you were interested in returning to work.

In a factory environment, the factory operates continuously, and the weekly day off is provided to staff on different days. Typically, after working for 6 days consecutively, the 7th day serves as your weekly day off. In this scenario, a suffix will not be helpful.

To maintain a balance between employer and employee needs, a prefix will be accepted but not a suffix (unless the office remains open on the suffix day).

Dear BB Sahoo,
In this case of your's the HR is absolutely wrong for considering 25th Feb 2018(Sunday) if it is a weekly off day observe by your establishment against leave. In generalwhen the day, immediately preceding the day on which an employee’s leave begins or immediately following the day on which his leave expires, is a holiday, the employee shall be deemed to have been permitted to prefix and suffix the holiday/holidays to leave. In absence of knowledge about your establishment it is suggested to refere your leave policy of the stablishment what it speaks. It is also your right to know under which guideline or laws your leave calculation is done from your HR. The guidlines by Mr Divekar is well settled.

Dear colleague,

Your HR manager is misinformed and needs to get educated on this. Your prefixing weekly off cannot be treated as part of leave as it is earned by you by working on the previous 6 days. Suffixing of the weekly off also cannot be treated as part of leave because you resumed duty on the next working day. Ask your HR manager to cite specific provisions under the Shops Act or F.A, or leave rules under which his actions are governed.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

All the respected members have clearly given their best replies regarding the issue. If the prefix and suffix fall on weekly off days, then they cannot be part of the leave period. However, while applying, it should be clearly mentioned in the leave application that the prefix and suffix are weekly off days, and the same are being availed as weekly off. In case of exigencies, if required, the applicant will be considered on off duty and not on leave. The idea is to include the mention of such suffixes and prefixes in the leave application to avoid any ambiguity.