Leave-Pooling: A New Trend in Employee Benefits
Mumbai: Carpooling is passé. The latest on the sharing front is something called leave-pooling that one can, quite literally, bank on. An innovation by a corporate, the scheme allows employees to donate their excess leave to their colleagues who may need it in times of crisis.
Accenture India, which recently introduced this policy called 'Hours That Help', believes that apart from the basic benefit it offers needy employees, it encourages the spirit of sharing as well. "It emerged as a result of many of our people wanting to assist their colleagues who needed extra leave on account of a medical emergency or personal problem. We also recognized that many people did not avail of their leave fully by the end of the year. This offered us an opportunity to address both situations," says Manoj Biswas, geographic unit HR Lead, Accenture India.
Most companies do, of course, have a system of advance leave which employees can take recourse to in an emergency. However, the goodwill and bonding factor in schemes like 'Hours That Help' are unbeatable. "Donating leave or working on behalf of someone increases the bonding among employees, which helps an organization create a positive atmosphere," points out Sunil Goel, director of the executive search firm GlobalHunt.
Other companies may not be following such a policy at present, but a more flexible approach to leave is clearly in evidence. "We don't have a leave-sharing program at present though we may explore it in the future," says S Ramesh Shankar, executive vice-president, HR, Siemens.
ARTICLE SOURCE - Running low on offs? Leave-pooling is here - The Times of India
From India, Mumbai
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166Mumbai: Carpooling is passé. The latest on the sharing front is something called leave-pooling that one can, quite literally, bank on. An innovation by a corporate, the scheme allows employees to donate their excess leave to their colleagues who may need it in times of crisis.
Accenture India, which recently introduced this policy called 'Hours That Help', believes that apart from the basic benefit it offers needy employees, it encourages the spirit of sharing as well. "It emerged as a result of many of our people wanting to assist their colleagues who needed extra leave on account of a medical emergency or personal problem. We also recognized that many people did not avail of their leave fully by the end of the year. This offered us an opportunity to address both situations," says Manoj Biswas, geographic unit HR Lead, Accenture India.
Most companies do, of course, have a system of advance leave which employees can take recourse to in an emergency. However, the goodwill and bonding factor in schemes like 'Hours That Help' are unbeatable. "Donating leave or working on behalf of someone increases the bonding among employees, which helps an organization create a positive atmosphere," points out Sunil Goel, director of the executive search firm GlobalHunt.
Other companies may not be following such a policy at present, but a more flexible approach to leave is clearly in evidence. "We don't have a leave-sharing program at present though we may explore it in the future," says S Ramesh Shankar, executive vice-president, HR, Siemens.
ARTICLE SOURCE - Running low on offs? Leave-pooling is here - The Times of India
From India, Mumbai
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Concerns About Leave-Pooling Scheme
Does it not encourage habitual and prolonged absenteeism with the new scheme assuring everyone of a surfeit of leave and enabling them to abstain with impunity from scarcity of leave? Does this lending really promote bonding or bad blood? For example, if someone with excess leave does not want to lend to another who requested it, it may be embarrassing for both of them when they meet for the first time in the morning in the office lobby the next day.
Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Does it not encourage habitual and prolonged absenteeism with the new scheme assuring everyone of a surfeit of leave and enabling them to abstain with impunity from scarcity of leave? Does this lending really promote bonding or bad blood? For example, if someone with excess leave does not want to lend to another who requested it, it may be embarrassing for both of them when they meet for the first time in the morning in the office lobby the next day.
Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
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