Corporate India's new mantra for employees on leave: Do Not Disturb

Plan your own leave, unlimited paid vacation days, and multiple leave options are India Inc's attempt at respecting time off

As the day draws to an end, a man enters the cabin of the manager. He pulls out his laptop, and places it on the table. Then he picks up a safety pin, opens the sim tray of his smartphone, and places the sim card on the table, too. He then bids the manager goodbye and leaves for his vacation. 

This is not a scene from a spy thriller. This is the procedure followed at AU Small Finance Bank (SFB) when any critical role holder goes on a mandatory leave.

As Vivek Tripathi, head of human resources at AU SFB, explains, they need to submit their SIM card and laptop with the bank, "so that they cannot be contacted for work-related matters".

Fantasy gaming platform Dream11 has taken a different approach towards the same end. It recently announced that staff members who disturb a colleague on an “Unplug leave” will have to shell out Rs 1 lakh as fine. 

The company says those availing of this leave are logged out of all work-related communication channels, including emails, Slack, and WhatsApp groups.

The boundary-setting between work and leisure at these two firms is emblematic of a larger trend.

Corporate India is making sure managers understand the importance of their coworker's me-time. So, no-questions-asked leaves and do-not-disturb policies are in. 

Sudakshina Bhattacharya, chief human resources officer (CHRO), HDFC ERGO, says employees at the general insurer are not disturbed during their time off.

"In fact, during working days also, we have sensitised managers to refrain from calling their team members post 7 pm, unless it’s a dire emergency," she adds.

Bengaluru-headquartered e-tailer Meesho does this with its 11-day companywide Refresh and Recharge Break, which happens just after its annual festival sale. "Work-life balance is a key focus area for us and we periodically check if employees are working on weekends or holidays, and take corrective measures accordingly," says Ashish Kumar Singh, CHRO, Meesho.

The firm also offers unlimited wellness offs, and uses Slack for communication — not WhatsApp — to ensure personal and professional commitments remain separate in today's fast-paced work environment.

Zepto CHRO Roma Bindroo understands this.

"Not only do we want to give employees their well-deserved time off, but we also want to ensure they enjoy that time to the fullest, with minimal hassle," says Bindroo. The Mumbai-based firm, which promises 10-minute grocery delivery, offers its employees a vacation reimbursement policy that covers accommodation, experiences, and meals, and ensures flexibility of working hours.

Such actions are acutely needed, as about 35 to 40 per cent of employees feel anxious while asking their bosses for leave, according to an October 2022 Randstad India study.

DIY-ing vacation planning

Another key trend is staffers wielding greater autonomy in matters of time off. For many firms, the when and why is in the past, the how long is the present. 

Pune-headquartered Amdocs India, a software and services provider, is working to remove the guilt associated with taking offs through its Vacation Without Limits, an unlimited paid time-off programme. 

"At the base of this programme is our confidence in the judgement of each Amdocs employee that they know best how to manage their work life,” says Lynette D’Silva, head of regional HR-India & APAC, Amdocs. “We believe that our unlimited vacation model encourages our employees to take time off according to their needs and disconnect completely from work during their vacation."

That's also the idea, Hitesh Gupta, chief technical officer (CTO), Park+, a super app for car owners, believes in.

"As an employee-first start-up we believe in nurturing and supporting our talent pool through a no-questions-asked leave policy," says Gupta. 

Value of the unlimited

The latest to jump aboard the unlimited paid time-off bandwagon was Microsoft when it offered this incentive to its US full-time employees. 

While some have hailed it as a solution, others have a different take.

Anand Damani, behavioural scientist, at Briefcase, says that while unlimited leaves may seem like a good idea, they mostly don’t work for employees. It makes the decision to apply for a leave harder due to the guilt of how others will perceive it. "Plus the leaves could be encashed, if not taken" under the traditional system of designated leaves, which is no more possible, he adds.

Bhattacharya from HDFC ERGO concurs.

"Anything unlimited is always counterproductive. The idea is to achieve a balance where both work and personal life should be given equal priority".

So, some firms are offering special-purpose unlimited leaves.

Kolkata-headquartered ITC offers unlimited paid leaves for any health-related reasons, in addition to annual leaves. "Our approach is to provide the employee the time needed to recuperate and receive the best medical attention," says Amitav Mukherji, head, corporate human resources, ITC.

That's the template followed at K Raheja Group, too.

Urvi Aradhya, CHRO at the Mumbai-based real estate developer, says her firm provides unlimited paid leave to people with health issues, but she doesn't think universal unlimited paid leave is merited.
 

"If you are on leave, either work suffers, or someone else doing your work suffers. Either way, it doesn’t work in the favour of the organisation," she adds.

Role of the manager

Meanwhile, one barrier to people seeking leaves is the pressure to "hustle". There was a huge uproar last year when the head of a men's grooming company said that freshers should work 18 hours a day instead of looking for work-life balance, and told them to not "do random rona-dhona (cribbing)".

When it comes to shedding stigma attached to taking leave, the line manager's role in implementing organisational policies is key, says Rajul Mathur, consulting leader, India, work & rewards, at WTW (Willis Towers Watson), a global advisory, broking and solutions firm.

That's why health-tech firm Providence India says a structured leave policy helps both the employer and the employee.

"The leadership team encourages taking time off, especially when it comes to self-care, because as a healthcare organisation, mental, physical and emotional well-being are a top priority for us," says Madhulika Vedula, director–HR, at the Hyderabad-headquartered firm.

Another worry is reporting managers contacting people on their off days. Borosil group's Prashant Deshpande, group head-HR, agrees that work-life balance is essential.

"When someone is on leave, we try our best not to reach out to them, unless it is a work emergency... We understand the importance of time off, and try to be as accommodating as possible regarding personal issues such as health problems, parental leave, and other issues," he says.

Full-service airline Vistara, too, encourages its employees to take planned leaves and take time out to care for their mental and physical well-being.

So, as India Inc explores its way forward, this may be the best time to go ahead and book your leaves.  

Finding the me-time

HDFC ERGO

Monitors leaves of employees and a message is sent if they are taking fewer leaves. Average percentage of leaves of every team is also observed and manager is sensitised if the team is lagging 

Meesho

Unlimited wellness leaves, gender-neutral parental leaves, and 11-day companywide Reset and Recharge Break; offers 64 optional holidays

Zepto

Vacation reimbursement policy that covers accommodation, experiences and meals, other than flexibility of working hours

AU SFB

Mandatory leave policy for critical role holders; pre-approved menstruation leaves for women employees

Dream11

If a staffer disturbs someone on an Unplug leave, they are fined Rs 1 lakh

Vistara

Ensures its operations staff is well-rested before the start of their duty

ITC

Offers unlimited paid leaves for health-related reasons, in addition to annual leaves