The studio's fixed holidays
Keep the fixed list short and predictable: the three national days and the festivals your city observes, such as Diwali, Holi, Eid, Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja depending on the region. Publish the list in December so designers can plan leave, and so project architects avoid fixing client presentations for the day after a long weekend. A firm with studios in two cities should give each studio its own branch list.
Year-end studio breaks
Some studios close between Christmas and New Year, or for a few days after Diwali, because clients are away and little gets approved. If you do, decide whether those days are company holidays or leave charged to each person. Company holidays are simpler and feel generous; charging earned leave keeps the holiday count lower but must be announced at the start of the year. Either way, enter the days in the holiday calendar so attendance and payroll treat them correctly.
Holiday fit-out work at client premises
Office and retail fit-outs often move fastest on public holidays, when the client's staff are away and the building allows noisy work. Site coordinators and fit-out supervisors may be on site on Independence Day or through the Diwali week. Keep the holiday on everyone's calendar, and reward each person who works it with a comp-off, or with the holiday rate from the overtime policy. Put the rule in writing, and plan jobs so the same supervisor is not on site for every holiday of the year.
Optional holidays for a diverse studio
Studios attract people from across India, and one fixed list cannot cover everyone's festivals. Offer a small optional quota, two days for example, from a list that includes Pongal, Onam, Eid al-Adha, Christmas, Guru Nanak Jayanti and Chhath, and let each person pick in the app. Look at the optional holiday report before busy months, so two members of a small project team do not pick the same day just before a deadline.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Add the year's fixed holidays in Holiday Calendars under categories such as national, religious and regional, marking fixed-date ones recurring yearly.
- If you run studios in more than one city, create each as a branch and apply regional holidays branch by branch.
- Record year-end or post-Diwali studio closures as company holidays, or announce them as leave days on the Company Wall.
- Cap optional picks per person, share the optional list in the app, and before busy months see who chose which day.
- For site staff who work holidays, choose in the overtime policy whether holiday hours pay at the holiday multiplier or turn into comp-off.
- Tell the studio whether a holiday next to leave is charged under the sandwich rule, and set the leave rules to match.
Read more about holiday calendars in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
Do architecture firms close between Christmas and New Year?
Some do, because clients are away and approvals slow down. The firm can treat those days as company holidays or ask staff to use earned leave. Announce the choice at the start of the year so designers can book trips early and the payroll count for December comes out right.
Should interior site staff get comp-off for holiday work?
Yes, or extra pay under the firm's overtime policy. Fit-outs often run on holidays because client premises are empty then. Keep the holiday on the calendar, give each person who works it a comp-off or holiday pay, and spread holiday site duty across the team.
How many holidays do design studios usually give?
There is no single number. Studios usually take the national holidays, the main festivals of their city, and a small optional quota. Check your state's Shops and Establishments rules for the holidays you must give, and publish the list in December for the coming year.
How do optional holidays work in a small studio?
Each person picks a set number of festivals, for example two, from an optional list covering the communities in the team. In ZeniaHR employees pick them in the app, and a report shows who chose which day, so a project team avoids losing two people on the same day before a deadline.