Employee Examination Leave Policy and Policy Framing Guidelines Discussion

Dear all,

Two employees in our office are taking leave for 15 days due to examinations. They both are not confirmed employees. Should I deduct 15 days' salary for that month, or should I consider the genuine reason of the exam??

Please guide me on how to frame a policy in the above case.

Regards,
Swapna
CiteHR Member.

There cannot be any leave without sufficient reasons. All leave sought should be with genuine reasons only. Therefore, if the employees do not have leave to their credit, let them be on leave without pay only. If you grant leave (special) with pay upon finding that the reason is genuine, later when another person comes with yet another genuine reason, the matter may go out of your control. Ultimately, as an HR professional, you will be answerable to the MD. I would not advise you to deviate from any policy, but there can be flexibility in the implementation of policies. Always remember that privileges can become rights, so think twice before granting any privilege.

Regards, Madhu.T.K

As Mr. Madhu rightly says - follow the policy. Also, keep in mind that in the future, if you deviate from the policy for one person, someone else might also expect the same from you. It is very essential to be consistent in our decisions. Deviate only when there is an exception, but do not end up creating too many exceptions.

Regards,
Nikita

Hi,

I agree with both Madhu and Nikita that you should follow the company policy. As the employees are on probation, you should deduct the 15 days' salary. Usually, employees on probation are not entitled to leave unless your company has such a policy. If they have sufficient leave balance, you can always consider that.

Thanks,
Harsha

Follow the policy, but as you are the HR Manager, you can speak to the MD on behalf of your employees and request some relaxation.

Thanks and regards,
Yogesh

I also agree with Mr. Madhu's suggestion, and you should follow the same advice without any hesitation.

Regards,
Sunit Saha

Hi, I would agree with all on the policy part. If you have a policy on these types of leaves, if you don't have a policy, then it is high time that you frame a policy and get it approved. As Madhu has communicated, all the leaves are genuine and stick to your company policy.

There are any rules for EL leave that we can't avail 4 times; only we can avail a maximum of 3 times. Please give me suggestions with the law, ACT-sec.

Thank you,
Shailesh

My suggestion would be to consider this case as genuine. Employees are primarily HR/HC. Being responsible for HR, you should encourage self-development endeavors by employees. HRD is also HR's responsibility.

George

I agree with Mr. Madhu's suggestion. It is better to follow the leave rules and, if there is any balance available in his credit, accordingly post the leave and balance without pay.

Dear Swapna,

First, let's see whether an employee is sponsored by the organization to pursue his/her higher studies or not. If he/she is sponsored by the employer, then the employer is supposed to grant special leave, i.e., Paid Leave, during the examination period. The concerned employee must provide a written intimation with the necessary annexures of documents (Leave application with Admit Card) as proof of the examination at least one week before being officially allowed to go on leave, after due sanction and approval by the authorities. During this period, the employer needs to make certain adjustments in human capital until the examinee/employee resumes office.

On the other hand, if an employee pursues higher studies for personal career advancement, then he/she must obtain prior approval/permission from the employer before admission. When the exam time approaches, an employee has to submit the leave application with the annexed admit card in advance to obtain sanction and approval from the designated authorities. In this scenario, the employee may choose to convert the leaves into CLs (subject to the availability balance of Paid Leaves) or opt for "Leave Without Pay (LWP)" without considering the balance of leaves.

I also agree with Mr. Madhu's general remark that "Privileges become Rights." The HR department of every organization should maintain a neutral position to implement HR policies that are uniformly applicable to all its employees working at any level, making them accountable to the management for the organization's best interests.

Thank you.

Biswajit Pani
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In the SA government, we have special leave for study purposes but to the maximum of 15 days, with half taken as normal paid leave and the other half as special leave. A study schedule must be provided as proof.

Hello Swapna,

As you have mentioned that both of them are on probation period, according to HR policies, examination fees are unpaid leaves. If they were permanent employees, then according to the total leaves in a year, if they have any leaves left in their leave bank, then it will be included in that leave. So I think in this case they should get unpaid leaves, as they are on probation period.

Regards,
Sushma Kotnala
sushmakotnala86@gmail.com
sushmakotnala86@yahoo.co.uk

HR professionals,

Do not be a stickler for policies and rules. Firstly, policies and rules are subject to interpretation since, in most cases, there is a lack of clarity. If it is just to follow rules and policies, any donkey can do it once the rules of the game are defined. Specialists are not required. See the context, apply yourselves, and be a facilitator. Otherwise, this category is doomed.

George

To avoid all these confusions, you should immediately structure a policy with respect to higher education. Supporting financially and providing paid leave will motivate employees. This could be a tool to retain employees, and you can also implement a bond-type agreement when the company sponsors education.

As rightly mentioned by our colleagues, without a proper system in place, extra leaves should not be allowed. Every reason could be critical. For example, if an employee does not have any leave remaining and a family member, such as a mother, father, or spouse, falls seriously ill and approaches you, it becomes a challenging situation. If you deny the leave, the employee may refer back to previous cases, setting a precedent. Therefore, if an employee has no leave remaining, consider allowing unpaid leave with authorization, ensuring it does not impact their performance or growth.

Thanks and regards,
Kameswarao