One company, several states
State holiday rules differ, so a remote developer in Kolkata and the core team in Bengaluru should not share one list. Durga Puja matters in Kolkata, Ugadi and Kannada Rajyotsava in Bengaluru, Gudi Padwa in Pune and Onam in Kochi. In ZeniaHR, create a branch for each state where you have people, even if only one person works there, and apply regional holidays to that branch. A branch per state also makes professional tax, which differs by state, easier to review. Before adding a state, read the holiday and Shops and Establishments rules that apply there.
Fixed plus optional: a short list done well
A small team can publish a short fixed list, for example Republic Day, Holi, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Diwali and Christmas, and let each person pick two optional holidays from a wider list with Eid, Pongal, Onam, Durga Puja and Guru Nanak Jayanti. Optional holidays respect a mixed team without closing the office for festivals only a few people celebrate. In ZeniaHR, set the yearly pick limit, and each person chooses their days in My Self-Service or on the app.
Launches, sales and holiday cover
Consumer startups often have their busiest days on festivals: a D2C brand's Diwali sale or a travel app's long weekend. Decide before the year starts who covers support and on-call on those days, and give them comp-off, which ZeniaHR credits for worked holidays with an expiry date. Rotate holiday cover so the same two support people do not give up every Diwali. If you pay instead of giving comp-off, set the holiday multiplier in the overtime policy at twice the ordinary rate or more.
Publish it where people will read it
A holiday list emailed in December is lost by March. Post it on the Company Wall as an announcement that needs acknowledgement, pin it, and check the who-acknowledged report a week later. Each employee also sees the holidays for their own branch and department in My Self-Service. Because holidays feed attendance, leave sandwich rules and payroll, enter the full year before January, not one festival at a time.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Create a branch for every state where you employ someone, including states with only remote staff.
- Enter national, regional and company holidays in Holiday Calendars and apply regional ones to the right branches.
- Mark holidays such as Republic Day as recurring so they carry into next year automatically.
- Add optional holidays with a yearly pick limit and remind the team to choose theirs in January.
- Post the list on the Company Wall as a pinned announcement that needs acknowledgement.
Read more about holiday calendars in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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How many holidays should a startup give in a year?
There is no single number for every company. Your state's festival holiday and Shops and Establishments rules set the base, and the rest is policy. A practical pattern for a small team is a short fixed list plus two or three optional holidays each person can choose. What matters more is fairness to a team from different states and publishing the list before the year starts.
Do remote employees follow the head office holiday list?
Not necessarily. Each state notifies its own holidays, so someone working remotely from another state may need that state's list rather than head office's. Check the rules for the state they work in. In ZeniaHR, a branch per state lets you apply regional holidays only to the people there, while company-wide holidays apply to everyone.
What happens if a startup employee works on a public holiday?
They should get either a comp-off day or holiday pay, as your policy says. In ZeniaHR, comp-off is credited for worked holidays with an expiry date, or approved hours are paid through payroll using the holiday multiplier in the overtime policy, which should be at least twice the ordinary rate. Rotate holiday cover so the same people are not on duty every festival.