Why a dealership needs two holiday lists
The showroom and the workshop close on different days. A showroom may stay open on Dhanteras, Diwali morning and Dussehra, when families come to take delivery, while the workshop closes for Diwali and the day after because customers are not bringing cars in for service. Keep both in one calendar, but apply each holiday to the department it covers: showroom, workshop, body shop or parts. Staff then see only the holidays that apply to them.
Festival days are selling days
On Dhanteras, deliveries run from morning to late night, and many customers ask for delivery at an auspicious muhurat. Treat the day as planned holiday duty for the showroom, delivery bay, PDI technicians, accessories fitters and the RTO desk. Roster the team by name a month ahead, arrange meals and transport for late finishers, and credit comp-off or pay holiday overtime so the effort is recognised rather than expected.
National holidays and state rules
Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti each need a clear decision. Your state's Shops and Establishments rules say how national and festival holidays must be given and what applies when staff work on them. Whatever the rule, record who worked and what they earned for it, so an inspection or a staff complaint can be answered from the records rather than from memory.
Regional festivals across outlets
A dealer group with outlets on both sides of a state border will have different festivals at each site. A Nashik outlet closes for Gudi Padwa while a Surat outlet closes for Uttarayan. Apply regional festivals to the outlets that celebrate them, offer a small number of optional holidays for staff from elsewhere, and remember that many regional festivals are also buying days, so the showroom may be open while the workshop is shut.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Create one holiday calendar and apply each holiday to the departments it covers: showroom, workshop, body shop or parts.
- Apply regional festivals only to the outlets that celebrate them, and add optional holidays with a small yearly pick limit.
- Roster festival duty by name in Shifts & Roster a month ahead, covering sales, delivery, PDI, accessories and the RTO desk.
- Set the holiday multiplier in the overtime policy at two or above, or credit comp-off for holiday duty, and tell staff which applies before the festival.
- Mark national holidays as recurring so they appear every year, and review the list against your state's rules each January.
Read more about holiday calendars in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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Do car showrooms stay open on Diwali?
Many do, at least for part of the day, because families want deliveries on Dhanteras and Diwali. The workshop often closes for Diwali and the day after. Staff who work on the festival should be rostered in advance and receive comp-off or holiday overtime under the dealership's policy.
How should a dealership handle national holidays?
Check your state's Shops and Establishments rules for how national holidays must be given and what applies when employees work on them. Decide which departments close, roster anyone who must work, and record comp-off or holiday pay for them so the records match what was agreed.
Can showroom and workshop staff have different holiday lists?
Yes. Keep one calendar and apply each holiday only to the departments it covers. The showroom can stay open on Dhanteras while the workshop closes on Diwali, and each employee sees only the holidays that apply to their own department.