Balancing Education and Work: Should I Allow an Employee to Take Saturdays Off for an MCA Course?

Hi, I am the HR of a company. One of my employees wants to take leave every Saturday to pursue his MCA course. Should I allow it? Will it affect the other employees? How shall I justify it to other employees in case they ask, or even if they do not ask?

That type of situation depends on your company's policy or the individual's connections with their seniors. However, it's not possible according to your own authority.

Regards,
Satish

We all have two options – either to learn by making mistakes or learn from others' mistakes. The situation you narrated is something that many of us have faced in the past.

Learning by Making Mistakes

If you want to learn by making mistakes, you will do the following:

- At present, on a case-to-case basis, give such permission to your employees.
- At one stage, you will find that one person has misused this leniency.
- The company will immediately react and say scrap the rule and no exemption for anyone.
- Employees will complain as the company is growing big, it is losing its old people touch.
- As an "HR with a conscience," you will carry all these burdens on your shoulders.

Learning from Others' Experience

By learning from others' experience, you will do the following:

- Communicate the reason why you are working even on a Saturday, in the first instance.
- Suggest to your management not to take any lenient view on a case-to-case basis – at this stage – it generally leads to more problems than resolving the few ones you have in hand.
- Create a simple set of guidelines based on which such scenarios will be handled.
- Of course, give due weightage to exception cases.
- This way, people will perceive HR/Management as transparent and empathetic at the same time.

In my view, the reason for higher studies does not fall under exception cases. There is a possibility you will be flooded with requests of a multitude of nature – you will never be able to distinguish genuine and not-so-genuine requests.

Since it's a genuine reason, you can permit the employee to work extra hours to compensate for Saturday's leave. Other employees might inquire upon seeing him, but it's up to you to determine the genuineness of the employees.

Regards,
Rajeshwari
HR Executive

If he signed a contract saying that he would work Saturdays, then he has to work Saturdays, and it's at your discretion to allow him not to. Depending on your staffing levels, if you will be left understaffed, say no. If there's a likelihood that other staff members will ask the same thing, definitely say no as this could set a precedent that would make saying no to other staff hard.

Regards,
Tope

Strictly speaking, it is not possible for the company to allow this. Implementing such a policy would be beneficial for the organization in establishing a positive culture and climate.

If you have any more text that needs correction or further assistance, feel free to share!

Employee Leave Policy: Personal Needs vs. Company Rules

Generally, we must not allow any employee to take leave for personal reasons, regardless of the justification they present. The employer is not concerned with the employee's personal needs or requirements. Employees must manage their personal matters, such as studies or other personal work, on their own. They are already aware of the company's rules, culture, and atmosphere, and upon joining the organization, they agreed to the terms of employment, which they must follow. Every employee in the organization is required to adhere to the policies laid down and maintain them under all conditions. It is also the duty of HR and Admin personnel to uphold the company's atmosphere and ensure no one disobeys the rules. If one employee is allowed to take leave for personal work (including study leave), others will certainly request the same, which the employer cannot accommodate at any cost.

These days, many employees are pursuing studies and need time for it. However, this does not mean they can disobey employment rules or request leave for personal reasons, as it is a personal problem and not a concern for the employer.

Compensatory Work Arrangement

I agree with Rajeshwari. The employee can work extra hours to compensate for Saturday's leave, but this requires prior consent from you and his supervisor or boss. Ultimately, it depends on you, your boss, and your company policy whether to allow him or not.

Decision-Making in the Absence of HR Setup

You mentioned you are new and there is no proper HR setup in your organization. In that case, you need to discuss this with your and his department supervisor and boss. If the bosses agree, you can allow the employee to take a half-day leave, but only when it is absolutely necessary. However, do not make any decisions without the proper consent of the Heads of Department (HODs).

In closing, I would say NO, you should not allow him to take leave for this.

• Well said, Mr. Chandru.
• A few points from my side:
• Approving or not approving leave is not HR's job. HR's job is to make policy, rule, and process framework. Sanctioning or not sanctioning leave is the responsibility of the concerned supervisor or manager. In case they need any clarification or guidance on policy/rule, they will approach HR for that.
• Leave on every Saturday and for how long? This call has to be taken by the concerned manager. Simply tell the manager to follow the rule/policy.
• To make the decision, ask the concerned manager to ask a few questions to themselves, and their answers to those questions will help them decide either way: How will the work assigned to that employee on Saturdays be managed? What will you do in case other employees also ask for leave of a similar nature? How will you ensure that such leaves are not misused? Can you postpone Saturday's work continuously?
• Do not make decisions for others. Help others to make their decisions.

I think one needs to make a distinction between the personal needs of an individual and the potential benefits to the organization. If someone needs to leave every Saturday for traveling to their home (visiting parents/family), then it could be a no-go situation.

If the leave is for higher learning, and if that learning is likely to benefit the organization, then it becomes a win-win situation.

It might seem cunning to ask for a bond, but bonding with the individual may keep them attached to the company for a long time.

Denying learning opportunities to an ambitious person means they might look for a job elsewhere. If the manager can handle the absence by sharing work among colleagues, where is the harm?

It is indeed the supervisor/manager who has to make the call on relieving them every Saturday. Such decisions can be made on a case-by-case basis.

Growth is possible through learning at reputable institutions and not merely through making mistakes.

Let them learn and utilize the knowledge to train a few colleagues. That way, the organization can gain significantly.

To avoid misuse, one can ask them to get a letter from the Principal of the Institute about the requirement of attending lectures, etc., every Saturday.