Types of Leaves |Paid and Unpaid Leave Categories
Taking a Leave is one thing that all employees share in common. In fact, the first thing a new employee wants to know is the types of leaves that their company provides. These laws ensure fairness in employment practices and fine-tune them to benefit employees regardless of the company they work in.
Although there exist different types of leaves, you can categorize them into two main groups: Paid Leaves and Unpaid Leaves.
Types of Leaves
The key types of leaves mandated by the government of India are:
Paid Leaves
- Privilege Leave (PL Leave): Privileged Leave of PL Leave is a mandated leave that allows you to take paid time off.
- Sick Leave (SL Leave): Mandated by some states, it offers paid leave for employees who are ill or injured.
- Maternity Leave (ML Leave): Mandated by the Maternity Benefit Act, it grants female employees paid time off for pregnancy and childbirth.
- Public Holidays: Government-mandated holidays observed nationwide, including Independence Day and Republic Day.
- Casual Leave: Additional leave provided by some employers beyond mandated types for various personal reasons.
Unpaid Leaves
Aside from the government mandated leave types, there are other types of leaves you will find at companies:
- Bereavement Leave: Granted by employers to employees who have experienced the loss of a family member.
- Unpaid Leave: Time off without pay, often used for personal reasons or extended leave.
- Compensatory Time Off (Comp Off): Time off in lieu of overtime pay, given for extra hours worked.
- Sabbatical Leave: Extended leave, often without pay, for career development, travel, or personal reasons.
- Earned Leave: A term often used interchangeably with Privilege Leave or Annual Leave, referring to paid annual leave days. You can use an earned leave at any time.
- Paternity Leave: While not mandated by law, some companies may offer paid leave for new fathers to bond with their child.
- LOP/LWP : Loss of Pay or Leave Without Pay is a type of leave that an employee can avail if they have exhausted all their other leaves.
It is important for every company to have a leave policy that benefits its employees. In the dynamic corporate landscape, where corporate laws are in a constant state of flux, it’s crucial to stay well-informed about your rights and how to strike that ideal work-life balance. You need to be fully aware of the leaves you are entitles to.
We have not talked about 12 types of most common leaves that you can apply to at your company. You can now navigate your leave policy now that you have the information you need on the types of leaves available to you.
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FAQ’s on Types of Leaves
In most workplaces, there are various types of leaves available, including annual leave for vacations, sick leave for illness, maternity/paternity leave, casual leave for emergencies, public holidays, and special leave for unique situations.
PL (Privilege Leave): Used for planned holidays, and usually scheduled in advance.
CL (Casual Leave): Used for unplanned events like falling sick or emergencies, so it is flexible.
Leave allowances vary by company policies, contract, and local laws. Refer to your employment agreement for specifics. Typically, employees have annual leave, sick leave, and other types based on tenure and regulations.
