Are you a govt employee? 20-day earned leave in a year will be mandatory

New Delhi: If you are a permanent government employee, let us prepare you for a surprise: your boss could soon request you on their own to go on leave. The Centre has sculpted a new leave policy for all its permanent government employees so that they are able to mix work with leisure judiciously. The workers will now be able to take at least 20 days of earned leave every year, instead of hoarding them up for encashment at the time of retirement.

The practice is already underway in public sector banks (PSBs) since late 2018 and employees are being given two sets of 10-day-leaves. The measure had been announced in October last year and had taken the employees by surprise. It will now be rolled out to other government offices as well.

The earned leaves, which can be accumulated up to 300 days, are used by the employees as additional retirement benefits. These can be exchanged for money at the rate of the salary level of the employee once they hit the ceiling.

Central government employees enjoy generous leave allowances. They get a block of 30 days paid leave each year and defence employees are entitled to 60 days. In addition, they also get 10 casual leaves and 19 notified holidays every year. Earned leaves, however, are rarely used up by employees who usually add a day or two to weekends for a long break. Casual leaves cannot be accumulated.

The earned leaves, which can be accumulated up to 300 days, are used by the employees as additional retirement benefits. These can be exchanged for money at the rate of the salary level of the employee once they hit the ceiling. Consequently, people begin to use these leaves only after they have toted up a balance of 300 days. The government wants to break this habit.