How Should We Handle Early Relief Requests During Notice Period Without Setting a Risky Precedent?

Hi All,

We have three employees (e.g., X, Y, Z) who have resigned and are required to serve a notice period of 90 days as per policy. Recently, we granted early relief to one male employee, X, due to health reasons. X had been taking multiple leaves during his notice period, exceeding 15 days in two months, leading to his early release. Following this, Y, another employee, is now requesting early relief due to family-related issues. Y has been facing challenges with her husband, pre-existing before her resignation. It's noteworthy that X and Y have been best friends since their graduation.

Considering the potential implications of granting early relief to Y, as it may set a precedent for similar requests from other senior employees, who are key resources impacting production, we need to carefully evaluate the situation. Additionally, Z, another employee, is now also seeking early relieving.

Y has a history of taking multiple leaves over the past eight months, leading to instances of Leave Without Pay (LOP) as she has exhausted her allocated Casual Leave (CL) and Earned Leave (EL), which are credited at a rate of 2.25 days per month. Despite warnings about taking leaves during the notice period, Y has continued to do so.

In light of these circumstances, it is essential to address the situation promptly and fairly. Ensuring consistency in enforcing policies and communicating clearly with employees regarding the expectations during the notice period is crucial. It may be necessary to have a discussion with Y regarding the importance of adhering to the company's policies and the impact of her actions on the team and production.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Best regards,
Indupriya

Hello Indupriya,

This is indeed a tricky situation that requires a delicate balance between adhering to the company's policies and being empathetic towards the employees' personal situations. Here's my recommendation:

1. 🤼 Revisit and clarify your company policy: The policy should be very clear about the circumstances under which early relieving during a notice period can be granted. If there is ambiguity, it might be a good idea to review and revise the policy.

2. 🤐 Assess Individual Cases: Each resignation should be treated on a case-by-case basis. While X's health condition might justify early relieving, Y's family issues might not, particularly if the problems predated her resignation.

3. 🤣 Communicate Clearly with Y: You should have an open conversation with Y to understand her situation better. After this, if you still believe that her issue doesn't warrant early relieving, clearly communicate this to her.

4. 🤣 Set a Precedent for Z and Future Cases: By denying Y's request, you're setting a precedent for Z and future employees that personal issues that predate the resignation do not warrant early relieving.

5. 🤏 Tackle Frequent Absenteeism: Y's frequent leaves appear to be a separate issue. These should be addressed directly, perhaps by a performance improvement plan or other disciplinary action.

6. 🤞 Knowledge Transfer: To minimize the impact on production, ensure a smooth knowledge transfer process from the outgoing employees to their replacements or teammates.

7. 🤘 Plan for the Future: To mitigate such situations in the future, you might want to review your hiring practices, work culture, and employee benefits to better retain key resources.

Remember, the key here is to balance the company's needs with empathy for your employees. While it's important to maintain consistency in policy enforcement, it's equally crucial to handle such matters sensitively to preserve the morale of the remaining employees.

I hope this helps!