How Do I Create a Fair Leave Schedule for My Car Spa Employees Working Holidays?

Hi, warm greetings. This is the first time I have ventured into business on my own. I am in a situation where I need to frame my employees' leave schedule. I am running a car spa, a customer-oriented business that I have to keep operational even on holidays for customer convenience. In such cases, my business mainly operates on holidays and weekends.

I am unsure how to frame the leave schedule for my employees and how to calculate their salary, especially considering the leave days. I am a bit confused in this aspect, and I care a lot about my employees. I also need to convince them. I am seeking expert guidance on how to handle this situation. Kindly suggest.

It appears that you have confused "employee leave" with "weekly off." Both are different. Therefore, your first concern should be to apprise yourself of these basic concepts. If you are running a car spa, you are covered under the Shops and Establishment Act. Therefore, you may read the law of the state to which you belong and get acquainted with all the concepts mentioned in the statute book.

Moving forward, it appears that your business challenge is similar to that of employees who work in hotels and restaurants. Hotels and restaurants also experience increased business during Sundays and holidays. Therefore, you may approach someone within your circle and find out how they manage the weekly off for employees. Generally, the weekly off is given from Monday to Thursday. If your employees work on "Closed Holidays," then you need to compensate for those offs as well.

Lastly, to avoid legal hassles, you may hire an HR consultant for a while who could establish HR systems and processes. Thereafter, you can manage on your own. Consider the consultant charges as an investment rather than a cost.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

It is truly admirable that you are concerned about the employees. My best wishes for the success of your Car Spa.

1. You can have your employees work 8 hours a day, not exceeding 13 hours in any case. Any extra time beyond 8 hours should be treated as overtime with a salary increase of 1.5 or 1 as your business progresses (with 3 breaks).

2. The total working hours should not exceed 48 hours per week, including overtime.

3. Employees are entitled to one day off per week with full pay.

4. Annual leave should be 20 days for a five-day workweek and 24 days for a six-day workweek.

Please reach out to others who run similar shops nearby for valuable advice. While guidelines are available, local people often possess more accurate on-the-ground knowledge.

Best of luck.

Dear Mr. Gopinath,

Your suggestion is welcomed, but the annual leave is 20 days and 24 days in the case of five and six working days, respectively, as you have mentioned. Can you please elaborate in detail on how you arrived at this and which law specifies it? Is there a minimum number of working days required for entitlement to leave? It seems like you mentioned random figures.

Adoni Suguresh

Understanding Leave Policies: Government vs. Private Sector

When you increase the working hours, the consequence is an increase in leave entitlement (24 days). This is because you are considering a 6-day workweek. In the case of a 5-day workweek, the working hours are less, and accordingly, the annual leave is also reduced (20 days). This is due to the necessity of avoiding any violation of the leave procedure. Such rules are very much a part of the leave rules of 1972 in the Government sector.

However, in the private sector, changes are inevitable, and you cannot adhere to all rules due to the various situations that may arise. It is important to try to adapt in principle and practice, as the rest is undeniable. Kindly consult with local people to navigate through initial difficulties; in the long run, you will adapt to the practices and understand the ground truths.

Best of luck. Remember, rules are not the master; they are devised for the best.

Dear Mr. Gopinath, Your suggestion is not within the purview of the Leave Rules as stipulated in Chapter VI of the Shops and Commercial Establishment Act. You are referring to "this is very much in Leave Rules, 1972." In which enactment is it mentioned? Can you please clarify? If the employer is allowing benefits to his employees above and beyond the leave rules, they can do so provided there is an agreement between the employer and employees, or through standing orders, or by framing their own employment rules.

Regards, Adoni Suguresh