Companies like Marico, Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints and Jyothy Laboratories have struck out the system of casual leave (CL) and sick leave (SL) from their leave calendars. They do not follow a CL/SL system and believe in empowering employees to manage their work schedules to meet their targets. Given the positive correlation between flexibility in the workplace and employee productivity, this trend can be observed in industries like FMCG and financial sector, where employers are concerned about the end result and perhaps it helps in employee retention as well. Such initiatives have a positive impact on the productivity of employees who can manage their work schedules better in addition to attending to family needs.

A number of traditional companies, however, still follow a CL/SL/PL (privilege leave) calendar, especially in the sales departments, where work schedules are followed like a military regime. While, on the other hand, some companies offer flexi-time options to middle and senior-level employees. However, Marico believe a casual leave is not an entitlement and that the organization's task is only to facilitate the same; Jyothy Laboratories offers its employees 21 days consolidated leave rather than complicating matters with CL and SL, and management consulting firm AT Kearney expects its consultants to define their own work timings.

Source: The Economic Times