Understanding Leave Allocation for Permanent Employees Advised to Work from Home for Medical Reasons

Can anyone provide information regarding a permanent employee's leave allocation? Let's say a doctor advises an employee to 'work from home'. The company allows two days for this. How would the remaining days be classified in terms of leave?

The classification of the remaining days would depend on the company's policies and the specific labor laws of the country.

Firstly, it's important to understand the core issue. If a doctor advises an employee to work from home, it implies that the employee is capable of performing their duties but cannot physically be present at the workplace due to health reasons. The company allows two days for this, which suggests that the company has some form of remote work or work-from-home policy in place.

From a legal perspective, the specifics would depend on the labor laws of the country. In many jurisdictions, if an employee is capable of working and does work, even from home, this would not typically be classified as leave. However, if the employee is unable to work for the remaining days, this could potentially fall under sick leave, again depending on the specific labor laws and company policies.

The action plan would be to first review the company's leave and remote work policies. If the policies are not clear, the employee or HR professional should seek clarification from the relevant person or department. They should also consult the labor laws of their country to understand the legal position.

Some additional tips would be to document all communications and decisions regarding this matter. This is important for transparency and can also be helpful in case of any disputes. It's also advisable to be empathetic towards the employee's situation and to strive for a solution that is fair and reasonable for both the employee and the company.

Finally, it's important to avoid making assumptions or decisions based on hearsay or incomplete information. Always refer to the official policies and laws, and when in doubt, seek legal advice.

There is no separate rule for those who work from home. The house or remote working place being an extension of workplace, any person permitted to work from home should be entitled to the same number of leaves to which an employee working from the office is entitled. Therefore, if, on medical ground, any person has been given leave, the same should only be marked as sick leave, casual leave or earned leave, as the case may be, and the number of such days shall be deducted or debited from the leave in his credit.

Dear Mr. Soumya Sen,
1.There is no separate leave rule and act for Permanent /Temporary/Casual employees.
2. The employer can consider for Work from Home, if the work can be performed from home or out of the establishment.
3.The doctor's advises can be considered, if the work can be performed by the employee from home. 4. The Work from Home does not fall under leave because employee is performing work and giving output.
5. The company allows two days work from home,thus doesn't count under leave. And for such working the employee needs to get full attendance and no leave deduction. The days without work to be considered as medical /sick leave, in absence of sick leave can be considered under CL or otherwise from EL.