Vacation Policy Confusion: How Should Partial Days Off Be Counted?

Vacation Policy Inquiry

My question is about taking holidays in my company, which offers 210 hours per year (equivalent to a 22-day vacation annually with hourly count).

For example, at my company, one working day is 9.5 hours. If I leave my job 7 hours early one day and 2.5 hours early another day, should I consider these days as holidays? In this scenario, I could potentially get a 2.5-hour vacation instead of utilizing 210 hours.

It is the ubiquitous practice that leave is calculated in terms of days only. Hence, I am unable to understand why your employer adopts the hourly basis for the calculation of leave. The unit of calculation for working is based on hours just because no human being can work in a continuous stretch of long working hours which requires occasional breaks for rest in between. Even then, the working hours of the establishment are calculated in terms of man-days only and not in terms of hours. As far as I know, a man-day comprises 8 hours only. Senior members may shed more light on this matter.

Thank you.

Understanding Holiday Hours in My Company

My question is about taking holidays in my company, which offers 210 hours per year (equivalent to a 22-day vacation annually with an hourly count).

For example, one working day at my company is 9.5 hours. If I leave my job for 7 hours and leave 2.5 hours early, should I consider this a holiday off-day? Could I get a 2.5-hour vacation instead of using the 210 hours?

Company Working Hours

Daily working hours of the company are 9.5. Working days are 5 per week, so 9.5 × 5 = 47.5 total weekly work hours. In our company, 210 holiday hours are added to our account on the first day of each month, i.e., 17.5 hours (approximately 1.83 days, nearly two days).

Annual Leave on an Hourly Basis

Thank you for reaching out for information regarding a policy that allows for annual leave to be taken on an hourly basis. This type of system can be beneficial for both employers and employees, as it provides flexibility in managing time off while ensuring that work responsibilities are still met.

By allowing employees to take their annual leave in hourly increments, they can better balance their work and personal commitments. This can lead to higher job satisfaction and productivity, as employees feel more in control of their time off.

Employers also benefit from this arrangement as it can help in managing staffing levels more effectively. By allowing employees to take leave in smaller increments, it may be easier to find coverage and prevent disruptions to workflow.

Overall, implementing a policy that offers annual leave on an hourly basis can be a win-win for both employees and employers. It promotes a healthy work-life balance and contributes to a positive work environment.

Dear Rajesh,

Even after reading your successive posts several times, I am unable to understand the connection between the number of working hours and the 22-day annual vacation or annual holiday. Therefore, it would enhance my understanding if you answer the following queries:

1) What is the type of your organization - a factory or any other establishment?

2) Is the 22-day annual vacation calculated on an hourly basis an additional benefit offered by your organization?

3) Is the one-day working hour of 9.5 spread over or the actual number of hours required to work?

4) If it is the actual number of working hours per day, is the extra 0.5 hour treated as overtime?

5) How do the 210 hours per year work out to 22 days?

6) Can you please explain the statement in your second post "In our company .......... (1.83 days near 2 days)"?

Thank you.

1) What is your organization type - factory or any other establishment?
Factory

2) Is the 22-day annual vacation calculated on an hourly basis an additional benefit offered by your organization?
Yes, 22 days of annual leave are calculated at 210 hours per year, and it's not an additional benefit.

3) Is the one-day working hour of 9.5 spread over or the actual number of hours required to work?
Including breaks, there are 48 hours a week of working hours. Our company has 9.5 working hours every day because our company has 5 working days a week. Saturday and Sunday are weekly holidays. 9.5 × 5 days equals 47.5 hours worked in a week.

4) If it is the actual number of working hours per day, is the extra 0.5 hour treated as overtime?
No, the 0.5 hour is not overtime. 9.5 × 5 = 47.5. This is the number of hours we work in a week.

5) How do the 210 hours per year work out to 22 days?
210 hours divided by 12 months equals 17.5 hours added every month to the leave account.

6) Can you please explain the statement in your second post "In our company... (1.83 days near 2 days)"?
1.83 days × 12 months. 1.83 × 12 = 21.96 days. 21.96 days is counted as 22 days annually.

Dear Rajesh,

It appears from your last post that your organization is a factory. My observations are as follows:

1. Annual Leave with Wages

As per the Factories Act under Sec-79 - Annual Leave with Wages Chapter, there is no provision for an hourly count of leave. Therefore, it has no legal acceptance as per the Factories Act. It has to be counted in days, and the leave record as per State Factory Rule should be maintained in days.

2. Working Hours and Rest Period

The organization's working hours are 5 * 9 = 45 hours instead of 47.5 hours. There is a rest period of 0.5 hours after working 5 hours at a stretch as per the Factories Act, and 0.5 * 5 = 2.5 hours is the rest period. Therefore, the total hours including rest is 45 + 2.5 = 47.5 hours per week.

3. Annual Leave Entitlement

The organization allows 22 days of annual leave per year, whether after fulfilling the eligibility criteria of 240 days (in this case, it should be less as it is a 5-day week) as per the Factories Act - this is not clear.

4. Hourly Leave Without Pay (LWP) or Overtime (OT) Calculation

Hourly Leave Without Pay (LWP) or Overtime (OT) calculation is required, which may be obtained by dividing the daily rate by 9 (in this case), but leave entitlement under any circumstances will not be on an hourly basis.

Therefore, the organization should not continue with a practice that is not legally accepted. Moreover, leave records as per the Factories Act will not allow an hourly basis; rather, it should be on a daily basis.

Thanks and regards,

S K Bandyopadhyay (WB, Howrah) CEO-USD HR Solutions [Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons] [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons] USD HR Solutions – To strive towards excellence with effort and integrity