Absence Without Leave: Can an Employee Still Get a Weekly Day Off?

Dear Forum Members,

If an employee was absent without leave for three consecutive workdays (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) and returned to work on Friday, is he eligible for Sunday as a weekly off? Or does the employee need to work a minimum of 3 days to earn it?

There is no rule that a weekly off day should be a paid day. However, when you have a month comprising 30/31 days as the salary period, the weekly off day is included in it. At the same time, for workers who are paid per day of work, they will earn only for the days they work. Naturally, the weekly off day will not be a paid day. In such cases, the daily average wages should be derived by dividing the monthly wages by 26, not 30. The law states that after continuous work of six days, an employee should be given 24 hours of rest. If an employee is absent from Monday to Wednesday or Thursday, they will not qualify for a weekly day of rest. This means that after a four-day absence, if they return on Friday, they need not be given Sunday off. However, if an employee comes to the office on Sunday, which is an off day for others, the question arises whether they should be paid and what value they will add by working on Sunday.