Employee Absence Dilemma: Should Weekly Off Be Counted as Absent if Missed Before and After?

Employee Absence and Weekly Off

I want to know if an employee is absent before and after their weekly off, is the weekly off also counted as absent?

1. Absent
2. W-off
3. Absent

Grounds for Employee Absence

On what grounds is the employee absent? If he is sick or suffering from any disease, the weekly off shall be treated as a weekly off only.

Absenteeism and Weekly Off Policy

The question posted by you is a common scenario in all kinds of establishments or organizations, whether private or government. You are stating the employee is absent, i.e., he/she has neither informed about the absence nor applied for any kind of leave. As long as the leave is not applied for, the entire period shall be treated as absent. Weekly off will be considered only when the employee submits a leave application for casual leave. In all other kinds of leave, the entire period shall be counted as leave, or absent if no leave is applied.

Hope this clarifies your query.

Regards, Chandra Mani Lal Srivastava
Master Consultant - Subject Expert: Service Laws
[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons]
New Delhi / 4.02.2022 / 10:11 pm

Understanding Section 52(1) of the Factories Act 1948

Section 52(1) of the Factories Act 1948 provides that an adult worker shall not be required or allowed to work in a factory on the first day of the week. Thereafter, the worker is to work for the next six days. Therefore, if the worker is absent on the day following the weekly off, he is not fulfilling this legal requirement, and as a consequence, he is to be treated as absent for that day too.

Absent Without Leave

Absent without leave is considered absent irrespective of the weekly off in between the absence period. To regularize the matter, if leave is granted, then the weekly off can be considered as not absent.