How would you deal with this situation if you are ...I wonder Indian's view..

jeunsung7 · Nov 5, 2014

[FONT=&#47569]Here's the situation I faced...

Think uou are an owner-cum-managing director of a small trading company in India. Your company is mainly working for the trade between India and Korea. You are employing 5 people, 4 marketing and surveying personnel and a maid who cleans the office and serves them lunch and tea. Since your major customers are Korean companies, your business is fit to Korean customers to a great extent. For example, your working time is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of 10 to 6, in order to fit the Korean business hour as much as possible. And you don’t work on Saturday unlike many Indian companies because you don’t have call or order from Korea.[/FONT]
One day one of your employees, Atul, asked for 2-week-long leave. He has worked for your company for almost 3 years (the longest working person) and all other employees have worked less than 1 year. It may mean serious loss for your company working without him such a long period. He said he is the eldest among his siblings and his younger sister is going to get married. It is his responsibility to attend many functions and ceremonies related to the wedding of his sister. Moreover, he is from very remote village, so it will take more than two days to reach his place. If allow him a long leave, your company will fail to serve its customers and might lose some of them because of failure of meeting the schedule.

How would you manage the situation?

do you think I should allow this vacation?
or do you have any suggestion about this matter?

Hope to hear from you.

Thank you!

guesshoo · Nov 5, 2014

Yes. You must allow this leave. The employees are eligible for leave as a part of their package. It is the employee's entitlement which cannot be denied.

This wouldnt have been an overnight announcement; it is planned leave. It is the manager's responsibility to have a contingency plan ready for any such absences.

From your post it appears that anytime this employee wants to exert his right to take leave for a couple of weeks the business would not allow it. It is unfair.

You could hire a temp for back office jobs. Or work overtime/ pay others to do stuff overtime. Atul's leave cannot be denied.

ramya1979 · Nov 5, 2014

If there is genuine reason, employer has to accept the leave.

To handle the situation:
Since both(you and Atul n your customers) are working on remotely, there are many methods to achieve the solution. Below is one of them.
1. Provide the network access to Atul and ask him to work for few hours during the vacation to take important calls.
2. If Internet connection is required , Provide the Wifi card and with all logistics support.

If we understand the business model, the phone access n Internet access is required to have regular touch with client base.

2 days : If he goes by train or any other mode of transportation will take 48 hrs to reach. Provide the company paid Air tickets and cab, you can save atleast one day and ask him to work on next day.

With the juniors support in the office, he can even Work from his native village with just Internet Data card and Phone.