These days are really difficult ones for the HR people in calculating holidays or any paid time off days, as the leave policies complicate the situation. The “Sandwich Leave Policy” is one set of policies that employees and HR professionals often find themselves asking about.
Being one of the best HRM software providers in India, Doinsights believes in ensuring that HR processes sustain clarity and transparency. In this blog, we classify the Sandwich Leave Policy, learn how it is applied, and view how modern HRMS systems, such as Doinsights, can aid in managing such policies.
What is a Sandwich Leave Policy?
The Sandwich Leave Policy is the one which, while calculating leave, considers the public holidays or weekends which fall between two leaves as also leave days.
Example:
An employee takes leave on Friday and Monday, and Saturday and Sunday are regular weekly offs. Under the Sandwich Leave Policy, Saturday and Sunday will also be counted as leave days, so the overall leave considered is of four days, i.e., Friday to Monday.
Such a policy is implemented in organizations to do away with long leave spells and to ensure workforce availability around the holidays.
From Where Does the Term Sandwich Leave Derive?
The term “sandwich” has been derived from the consideration that a holiday or a weekend (the “filling”) is sandwiched between two leave days (the “bread”). In the same way that a sandwich is considered one single item, the entire block leave is treated as one unit of leave.
Is Sandwich Leave Policy Legal In India?
Sandwich Leave Policy is legally valid in India if and only if the said policy is included in the company’s HR or leave policy documentation with distribution to and acknowledgment from all employees at the time they undergo induction.
The companies must:
- Effectively put in place the said policy in the HR manual or employment contract.
- Apply the policy consistently across the company.
- Be transparent in communicating this rule to the employees so as to avoid confusion and disputes.
However, it is to be noted that every company does not follow this policy. There are companies that do not count the days falling in between two weekends or holidays as leave days if the employee chooses to take leave on either side of the weekend or holiday.
Sandwich Leave Policy vs. Normal Leave Policy
| Criteria | Sandwich Leave Policy | Normal Leave Policy |
| Weekend between leave days | Counted as leave | Not counted as leave |
| Purpose | Discourage extended absenteeism | Offer more flexibility to employees |
| Common | Manufacturing, healthcare, service sectors | Startups, IT companies, flexible workplaces |
Pros and Cons of Sandwich Leave Policy
Advantages:
- Helping in maintaining discipline in the workplace.
- Resisting long, unchecked absenteeism.
- Boosting better workforce scheduling and planning for the days before and after holidays.
Disadvantages:
- Eligible for employee perception as unfair.
- Enter disputes over leave or grievances.
- Hence, there shall be clear communication and enforcement of the policy.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
🔹 Is sandwich leave policy obligatory or not?
No, it is not mandatory by Indian labor law. It depends on the option of the employer, provided that they explicitly specify it in writing and communicate it.
🔹 Can I refuse to abide by the sandwich leave policy?
If it has been included in your employment contract or specified as a company policy, then you are supposed to abide by it. In cases of dispute, the HR can resolve it.
🔹 How do I find out if my company follows the sandwich leave rule?
Look into the employee handbook or any booklets on HR policy, or better still, speak with your HR personnel to get clarity on whether the organization actually enforces this policy.
🔹 Can an HRMS software help calculate sandwich leaves?
Absolutely. Modern HRM systems like Doinsights come with leave settings that can be configured, and these can be further customized for rules pertaining to sandwich leave, holiday calendars, and weekend logics.
How Doinsights HRMS Simplifies the Management of Sandwich Leave
At Doinsights, we acknowledge that the management of leaves can become complicated with custom policies like sandwich leaves. The HRMS software that we offer in India is well equipped to deal with such fine details through intelligent automation and policy configuration.
Features That Support Sandwich Leave Policy:
- Custom Leave Logic: Configure sandwich rules specific to your organization.
- Integrated Holiday Calendar: Accurately map holidays and weekends for automatic calculations.
- Transparent Leave Balances: Employees can view how leaves are calculated, reducing disputes.
- Approval Workflows: Managers can see if sandwich rules apply before approving a leave.
- Leave Reports: HR can track usage, trends, and exceptions efficiently.
Conclusion
The Sandwich Leave Policy is one of the oldest forms of leave calculation in Indian companies. It is conducive to maintaining operational continuity but must be applied fairly and clearly. Given the right tools such as Doinsights HRMS, you can automate complex leave rules to become compliant and even offer a better employee experience.
