Employee Skipping Saturdays: Can We Deduct Sunday as Leave to Stop This Pattern?

Hi, I want to ask if any employee purposely took off on Saturday because he knew Sunday is a week off. Is there any provision where we can penalize him by deducting Sunday as leave? I am asking this because, in the same month, one of our employees took off on three Saturdays, showing a pattern. I would be grateful if someone could guide us on how to prevent any employee from taking off every Saturday. Additionally, the employee in question is a non-performer.

If any employee takes unauthorized leave, it shall constitute "absconding unauthorized," and management can initiate suitable disciplinary action as per the CSO of your company, or in the absence of that, as per the Model Standing Orders. If he is a non-performer and is a probationer, then your job shall be easier.

Why is he absenting himself unauthorized?
Have you probed into it? Have you checked with him for any personal or domestic problems? All these need to be addressed before initiating any punitive measures.

If he is availing unauthorized leave on Saturday and Monday, you can deduct Sunday as well.

You need not sanction leave when the employee seeks leave; mark them as absent and deduct their salary for Saturday. When the employee has not worked the whole week, there is no entitlement for the rest day. The entitlement for a paid holiday comes when the employee works for 48 hours in the week (see Section 51 & 52 of the Factories Act 1948). So, where the employee is not fulfilling the 48 hours of work, the entitlement to a weekly holiday will not be there.

Hi, call the employee and counsel him. Find out the reason behind his habitual Saturday leave. If necessary, take an apology letter from him. Warn him that unapproved leave on Saturday will be treated as a loss of pay. If he continues to take leave, initiate disciplinary action.

We have been facing the same problem. The employee used to go to his native place on the evening of every Thursday or Friday and return only on Monday to join his duties.

Weekly Off Policy
The weekly off (Sunday) comes after six days of work. Therefore, we started giving one weekly off only upon the completion of six days worked. Suppose the employee worked for a total of 18 days in a month. In such a case, he became entitled to only three weekly offs instead of the regular four or five weekly offs (depending on the number of Sundays in that month).

After two months, the employee understood the loss he was incurring and therefore returned to normalcy. You may also give a fair trial for the same.

Regards, Jawaharlal Moondra [Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons]