The Diwali closure and the rest of the list
Many traders and small factories, especially in Gujarat, close for several days around Diwali and reopen on Labh Pancham. Decide each year which of those days are paid holidays and which, if any, are adjusted against leave, and say so before the festival rather than on salary day. Add the national holidays and your city's main festivals, and mark the fixed-date ones as recurring so the list is ready every January.
Market weekly offs, not always Sunday
In many cities the market decides the weekly off: some markets close on Monday, others on Tuesday or Thursday. A shop in such a market gives its staff the market's day off and works on Sunday. Set the weekly off on each shift instead of assuming Sunday, and give personal weekly offs to staff who follow a different day, such as the delivery driver who also covers the second branch.
Shop, godown and factory on different calendars
The shop may close on a festival that the factory works through to finish an order, and the godown may open on a Sunday to load a truck. Apply each holiday to the departments or branches it covers, so a shop holiday does not show as a day off in the factory. Staff then see their own list in the app, and the accountant stops fielding questions about who gets which day.
National and festival holidays under state rules
States set how many national and festival holidays a shop or establishment must give, and the rules for working on them. Check the Shops and Establishments rules for your state, and the factory rules if you run a unit. When staff work on a paid holiday, record it and give comp-off or holiday pay, so your records show that the day was compensated.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Enter the year's holidays in Holiday Calendars, the Diwali closure days included, with fixed-date holidays set to recur.
- Apply each holiday to the branches or departments it covers, so shop, godown and factory each see their own list.
- Set each shift's weekly off to the market's closing day where it is not Sunday, and give personal weekly offs where needed.
- Add two or three optional holidays with a pick limit for staff who celebrate festivals that are not on your list.
- When staff work a holiday, HR can credit comp-off, or the day can be paid through the overtime policy's holiday rate.
Read more about holiday calendars in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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How many paid holidays must a small business give?
It depends on your state's Shops and Establishments rules, and the factory rules if you run a unit, which set national and festival holidays. Check the current rules for your state, then add your own festival days, and put the full list in writing at the start of the year.
Is the Diwali closure paid?
That is the owner's decision, within your state's rules for festival holidays. Many family businesses treat the main Diwali days as paid holidays and either pay for the extra closure days or adjust them against leave. Announce the decision before Diwali so nobody is surprised on salary day.
Can a shop give a weekly off on a day other than Sunday?
Many shops follow the market's weekly closing day, such as Monday or Tuesday, and work on Sunday. Set the weekly off on the shift, and leave and attendance will count that day as the rest day; also check your state's rules on weekly holidays for shops and establishments.