Can Employees Take Privilege Leave More Than 3 Times a Year? Seeking Clarity on Restrictions

Dear All,

My company comes under Bombay Shop and Establishment. We provide 30 Privilege leaves every year. Currently, employees can take Privilege leave up to 3 times a year, provided the leave duration is more than 3 days.

I would like to inquire if there are any restrictions on the number of times an employee can take Privilege leave in a year. Can the company allow any number of leaves based on requirements? Also, are there any limitations on the duration of leave, such as a minimum of 3 days?

Best Regards,
Sunil G

Basically, the conditions for availing leave are set by the company and not by the Shops Act. So it is up to the company to decide whether to allow employees to take leave more than three times in a year, or to remove the minimum requirement of three days for one instance.

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Yes, the Shops & Estb. Act does not lay down such restrictions, but the company can incorporate it into the leave policy to prevent it from being reduced to CL.

B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Relations Advisor
Navi Mumbai

Dear colleague,

The Shops Act does not restrict availing leave 3 times or a minimum of 3 days of leave. The rules differ from company to company. However, I find sound logic in the practice of having such restrictions. It enables the regulation of leave availing and ensures the availability of manpower for productive processes. Otherwise, in a free-for-all situation, the attendance of employees may become unpredictable and disrupt smooth working.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant