Hi,
Leave Policy must cover both the mentioned types of leaves-entitlements, eligibilities and the rules. But if you mean, by clubbing, that a given quantum of leave may be utilized either as Casual Leave or as Sick Leave, that is not advisable for the following reasons:
1) While no law requires an employer to provide for Sick Leave, The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946 throught he Model Standing Orders provided therein, require an employer to grant Casual Leave in conformity with satipulations made therein. The law however has NOT provided the quantum of Casual Leave that must ge provided for by an employer.
2) Therefore the quantum of Casual Leave is a question to be decided by the employer as his prerogative.
3) Sick Leave is NOT provided under any law and therefore an employer is NOT obliged to grant any Sick Leave. Even under the Employees State Insurance Act and the Scheme thereunder when an employee remains absent by producing a sick certificate from the panel doctor etc., in the employer's books his absence is treated and marked as "without pay" (albeit as authorized absence) and the employee gets "sickness benefit(!)" from the ESC corporation.
4) On other types of leaves the law is clear and gives an employer limited lee-way!
5) It is best, therefore to maintain an "account" for each type of leave separately and not club them! Also when you examin the causes of absenteeism of an employee, it is easy to compile data for each type of leave for objective analysis.
I suppose your questions are answered.
Regards
samvedan
January 6, 2006