- HOME
- HR and payroll
- What are restricted holidays? Meaning and rules in India
What are restricted holidays? Meaning and rules in India
Restricted holidays are a flexible type of leave that allows employees to take time off for personal, religious, or cultural events outside of fixed company holidays, such as, sick leave, casual leave, and privilege leave.
This option, often part of an organization’s leave policy, gives employees the freedom to take breaks with prior approval. If you’re an employer looking to add restricted holidays to your leave policy, this article will walk you through their purpose, eligibility, and how they can benefit both your team and your workplace culture.
Introduction to restricted holidays in India
India celebrates a wide range of festivals and occasions throughout the year, with each state observing unique celebrations based on region, religion, and culture.
Therefore, it's important for employers to provide holidays that allow employees to enjoy their festivals without taking Loss of Pay leave. Restricted holidays are one such type of leave that you can offer your employees.
Restricted holiday meaning
A restricted holiday is a paid, optional holiday that an employee can choose to avail based on their cultural needs. These holidays are usually granted during regional festivities, allowing employees to celebrate with their families.
A company’s holiday list can include multiple restricted holidays, keeping in mind the cultural diversity across the country. Employees can select a specific number of days from the holiday list provided by the company. Since not all employees typically take leave on the same day, the company can continue its operations on these days. This approach ensures a balance between organisational operations and employee well-being.
Who is eligible for a restricted holiday?
All government organisations must include restricted holidays in their holiday calendar. Consequently, government employees in the public sector can take restricted leaves during regional festivals, subject to employer approval.
However, if you are an employer in a private organisation, it is not mandatory to offer restricted holidays to your employees. Nevertheless, you can choose to incorporate restricted holidays based on your leave policy, to help accommodate employees' cultural preferences.
How many restricted holidays an employee can take in a year?
The number of restricted holidays an employer can offer is determined by the organisation's leave policies, management decisions, and government guidelines.
In India, government organisations provide 2 days of restricted holidays during a calendar year. These restricted holidays are in addition to the 2 national holidays and 14 gazetted holidays available to public sector employees.
In private companies, the employer has the discretion to decide the number of restricted holidays applicable to their employees.
Can restricted holidays be combined with other leave?
Employers generally allow employees to combine restricted holidays with casual leave. However, they typically do not permit combining restricted holidays with other types of leave, such as sick leave.
Restricted holiday list 2024
The Central Government of India publishes a list of restricted holidays every year. These holidays may vary from state to state due to cultural differences, but employers can use this list as a framework to create their own holiday schedule.
Here is the list of restricted holidays for 2024, published by the Central Government of India for offices located in New Delhi:
| Name of restricted holiday | Date |
| New Year’s Day | 1st January |
| Lohri | 13th January |
| Makar Sankranti | 14th January |
| Magha Bihu/ Pongal | 15th January |
| Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday | 17th January |
| Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | 25th January |
| Sri Panchami, Basant Panchami | 14th February |
| Shivaji Jayanti | 19th February |
| Guru Ravi Das’s Birthday | 24th February |
| Birthday of Swami Dayananda Saraswati | 6th March |
| Maha Shivratri | 8th March |
| Holika Dahan | 24th March |
| Dolyatra | 25th March |
| Easter Sunday | 31st March |
| Jamat-Ul-Vida | 5th April |
| Chaitra Sukladi / Gudi Padava / Ugadi/ Cheti Chand | 9th April |
| Vaisakhi / Vishu | 13th April |
| Meshadi (Tamil New Year’s Day) / Vaisakhadi (Bengal) / Bahag Bihu (Assam) | 14th April |
| Birthday of Guru Rabindranath Tagore | 8th May |
| Rath Yatra | 7th July |
| Parsi New Year's Day / Nauraj | 15th August |
| Raksha Bandhan | 19th August |
| Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi | 7th September |
| Onam or Thiru Onam Day | 15th September |
| Dussehra (Saptami) | 10th October |
| Dussehra (Mahashtami) / Dussehra (Mahanavmi) | 11th October |
| Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday | 17th October |
| Karaka Chaturthi (Karwa Chauth) | 20th October |
| Naraka Chaturdasi | 31st October |
| Govardhan Puja | 2nd November |
| Bhai Duj | 3rd November |
| Pratihar Sashthi or Surya Shashthi (Chhat Puja) | 7th November |
| Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day | 24th November |
| Christmas Eve | 25th December |
Difference between gazetted holiday and restricted holiday
| Restricted holiday | Gazetted holiday |
| Optional holidays for private sector employees | Mandatory holiday for employees in the private sector |
| Employers grant these holidays on various occasions, allowing employees to choose which ones they want to take | Employers grant these holidays to all employees, regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds |
| Employers can maintain continuous business operations since only a few employees take these holidays at a time | The entire organisational operation remains closed on gazetted holidays |
Importance of a restricted holiday for an organisation
- Promotes inclusivity and diversity
India is a secular country with a workforce comprising individuals from various cultural and religious backgrounds. By including restricted holidays, employers can foster an environment that promotes inclusivity and diversity. Providing such holidays makes employees feel valued and respected throughout the calendar year.
- Flexibility for employees
Including restricted holidays in the work schedule allows employers to offer a more flexible work culture. This flexibility enables employees to observe holidays according to their cultural preferences and contribute to their job satisfaction.
- Compliance with labour laws
Government organisations are required to provide restricted holidays to their employees as part of anti-discrimination measures, in alignment with payroll laws. This promotes equality and unbiased treatment, helping to build a positive employer-employee relationship.
Overall, a restricted holiday plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between employers and employees. Including such holidays in your annual leave list can boost productivity and contribute to higher profitability.
Frequently asked questions
What are the restricted holiday rules for central government employees?
All Central Government employees in India are eligible for two restricted holidays in a calendar year, based on advance notice and approval from the management.
What is the rule of restricted holidays for state government employees?
Indian states have diverse regional and cultural festival celebrations, leading to restricted holidays being set at the discretion of the state government. The specific holidays can vary, depending on the operational state of the government organisation.
How to apply for a restricted holiday?
The majority of employers nowadays use cloud-based software for payroll and leave management. As an employer, you can enable your employees to use your chosen software to apply for restricted holidays.
