Diwali Gifts for Employees on Leave: Should We Save Them or Not?

We are a small to medium-sized company with about 150 employees. I just wanted to know, should we keep the Diwali gift aside for those who are on leave and give it to them upon their return? Or should it be given only to those who are available? What about employees who are on leave for 15 days or 1 week, etc.? What is the general policy?

Thank you for your reply.

Look, dear, we are not obligated to give gifts to those who are on leave for 15 days or more. However, you should set aside gifts for each person who is on leave for 2 to 3 days before or after the occasion. Since you mentioned that your organization is a medium-sized one, you can choose not to give gifts to those who are not available.

I don't agree with Mr. Anil Arora as all these "on leave" guys are workers for your industry, and as they have not left so far, how can you forget about these guys for a petty amount of "Diwali Gifts."

I am sorry, Mr. Arora.

If the gift is perishable, such as sweets, then it may not be possible to store it. If it is a non-perishable gift, you can give it to them when they return from their holiday. You would not want the morale of your employees to decline.

Dear Meenu,

It is the feeling behind the gesture that is important to the individual. Do preserve each individual's gift and hand it over upon their rejoining after leave. Of course, perishable items can be kept only for a couple of days, but any other gift articles must be kept for the individual. After all, the person has been with your organization and worked for you; and the good gesture from the management should not be denied just because of leave.

The question of big/medium/small industry is not relevant. That is factored into your decision to give a gift and the budget for it, in any case.

Come on, friends, we are in the HR world, so let's focus on the "Human" element.

I agree with what rvpamec12 has to say. Being in HR, it would actually become difficult to take care of the human element.

Dear Colleague,

The gift is given for the service rendered by the employees. So, at that time, if any employee is on leave, it is not the criteria. So, in all fairness, the same should be given to the employees who were on leave also.

Nagaraj
nagaraj1946@gmail.com

In my opinion, they are eligible for these gifts irrespective of their presence or absence on Diwali as all these people are your employees. I agree that the Diwali gift is a petty issue.

Dev N. Shukla.

Simple... Don't call for any opinion, and this also does not need any expert opinion. It's all about human thinking. If you are truly a human being, you would understand others' feelings. It is "highly ridiculous" not to give employees who had been on leave on the distribution day.

Articles or mementos must be kept and gifted to the employee after they resume.

Ravi Budhkar

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your question regarding gifts. My suggestion is that HR's main responsibility is to motivate employees by providing boosts through various means, such as financial or non-financial benefits. Showing this level of care can help build trust among coworkers. Reserving gifts for employees and personally handing them over with a smile upon their return can enhance transparency within the system. This approach can strengthen employees' faith in you and give you a sense of fulfillment in delivering the right services for the organization's cause.

With regards, Jai Krishan Pandit

What about those employees who don't come on Diwali Puja saying they have work at home? What about their gifts?