Additional leave compliance rules and complexities

Annual leave

Indian employees get 15 days’ paid leave each year, and they’re entitled to carry over up to 30 days’ paid leave into the following year. In practice, this means that Indian workers have up to two years to take every day of paid leave they accrue each year. Public holidays vary from region to region, though there are three national holidays that are observed throughout India, on which businesses are prohibited from the opening: Republic Day, Independence Day, and Ghandi Jayanti.

Sick leave

Employees can take no more than 15 days’ sick leave each year. Regardless of the length of time, they take off, sickness pay stands at 70% of an employee’s average daily wage.

Maternity and paternity leave

Maternity leave differs depending on how many children a mother has. For her first two children, she’s entitled to 26 weeks of paid leave. This drops to 12 weeks’ paid leave for any subsequent children she has. There are no statutory laws for paternity leave or parental leave. Other types of leave in India include casual leave for unexpected events – which is usually capped at three days a month and six a year – and work-related injury leave.