Leave & Attendance Policy

This policy explains how leave and attendance work at Sanam Designs Wallah – Manki Space (TheManki). It covers our working hours, the types of leave you are entitled to, public holidays, parental leave, and how to apply for time off. Our aim is simple: give everyone clear, fair time to rest and handle life, while keeping our commitments to each other and to clients. This policy applies to all permanent employees unless your appointment letter says otherwise. Effective 17 June 2026.

1. 01. Working Hours & Workweek

   Our standard workweek is Monday to Friday, with general office hours of 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM IST, including a one-hour break. That works out to around 45 hours a week. We care about outcomes more than clock-watching, but core collaboration hours (11:00 AM to 5:00 PM) are when we expect everyone to be reachable for meetings and team work.

   Where your role or client requires it, we may agree slightly different hours with you in writing. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are weekly offs and holidays respectively.

   • Flexibility: minor adjustments to start/end times are fine with your manager's agreement, as long as core hours and deliverables are covered.
   • Remote/hybrid work: where permitted, the same hours and attendance expectations apply as in the office.
   • Overtime: occasional extra hours during deadlines or client go-lives may be needed; we aim to compensate this with time off in lieu, arranged with your manager.
   • Breaks: take a proper lunch break and short screen breaks through the day — sustainable pace matters to us.

2. 02. Types of Leave

   Full-time employees receive the following paid leave each calendar year (January to December). New joiners accrue leave on a pro-rata basis from their date of joining.

   • Casual Leave (CL): 7 days a year, for personal errands, short breaks, or unforeseen needs. Best used for one or two days at a time and applied for in advance where possible.
   • Sick Leave (SL): 7 days a year, for your own illness or medical appointments. For sick leave of three or more consecutive days, please share a medical certificate.
   • Earned/Privilege Leave (EL/PL): 15 days a year, accrued monthly, for planned holidays and longer breaks. Apply at least one week in advance for short leave and two to three weeks ahead for longer breaks.
   • These entitlements are in addition to weekly offs and declared public holidays.

   Casual and sick leave are meant to be used within the year and generally cannot be carried forward (see the encashment and carry-forward section). Earned leave is the type that builds up and can be carried over or encashed within the limits below.

3. 03. Public Holidays

   We observe a published list of public holidays each year, balancing national holidays with major regional and festival days relevant to our team. The holiday calendar for the year is shared in January and pinned in our shared drive and HR channel.

   Our holiday list typically includes fixed national holidays and a set of festival/regional holidays, for example:

   • Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October).
   • Major festivals such as Holi, Diwali (with Govardhan/Bhai Dooj as applicable), Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Dussehra, Eid and Christmas, finalised in the annual calendar.
   • A small number of optional/restricted holidays you can choose from, to respect different beliefs and regions.

   If a client engagement requires support on a declared holiday, we will arrange it voluntarily and in advance, and offset it with compensatory time off.

4. 04. Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave

   We support our people through major life events. Maternity leave follows the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (as amended in 2017).

   • Maternity leave: 26 weeks of paid leave for the first two children, and 12 weeks for the third child onwards, available to eligible employees who have worked at least 80 days in the 12 months before the expected delivery date.
   • Adoption & commissioning mothers: 12 weeks of paid leave from the date the child is handed over, as provided under the Act.
   • Medical extension: an additional period may be granted on production of a medical certificate where the law or the situation requires.
   • Paternity leave: 10 working days of paid leave for new fathers, to be taken within the first three months of the child's birth or adoption.
   • Where feasible, we will discuss a gradual return-to-work plan, including flexible or remote arrangements.

   Please inform HR as early as is comfortable so we can plan cover, confirm your entitlement, and support you through the leave and your return.

5. 05. Applying for Leave & Approvals

   All leave must be applied for and approved through our HR/leave tool (or by email to your manager and HR if the tool is unavailable). Approval depends on team workload, client commitments and your leave balance.

   • Plan ahead: apply for casual/short leave at least 2 working days in advance, and earned leave at least 1–3 weeks in advance depending on length.
   • Get confirmation: leave is only confirmed once your manager approves it — please don't book non-refundable travel before approval.
   • Handover: before any leave of two or more days, share a brief handover note covering pending work, contacts and anything time-sensitive.
   • Half-days: half-day leave is allowed and is counted as 0.5 of a leave day.
   • Long leave: requests beyond 5 continuous working days need manager and HR sign-off together.

   Managers should respond to leave requests within 2 working days. If two team members request overlapping leave that affects delivery, requests are generally honoured in the order received, while keeping the team covered.

6. 06. Unplanned Absence & Reporting In

   We understand that illness and emergencies don't give notice. If you can't come in or work as planned, just let us know as early as you can.

   • Inform your manager (and HR) by phone, message or email before the start of the workday, or as soon as you reasonably can.
   • Indicate the reason at a high level and an expected return date so the team can plan.
   • For sickness of 3 or more consecutive days, share a medical certificate when you return.
   • Unreported absence is recorded as 'absent'; if it stretches without contact, it may be treated as leave without pay, and prolonged unexplained absence can lead to a review under our conduct policies.

   If you are genuinely unable to reach us during an emergency, contact us as soon as the situation allows — we will always treat real emergencies with understanding.

7. 07. Leave Encashment & Carry-Forward

   These rules help leave stay meaningful — encouraging you to actually rest, while recognising unused earned leave fairly.

   • Earned/Privilege Leave: up to 30 days may be carried forward to the next year. Anything above that lapses on 31 December, so plan your breaks.
   • Encashment: earned leave above the carry-forward limit, or the unused EL balance at the time you leave the company, may be encashed at your basic salary, as per company practice and applicable law.
   • Casual & Sick Leave: these lapse at year-end and are not carried forward or encashed.
   • Full-and-final: on exit, your net leave balance is settled in your final settlement.

   Leave does not accrue during periods of unpaid leave or absence without approval.

8. 08. Attendance Expectations

   Good attendance is about reliability — being where you said you'd be, ready to do the work, so the rest of the team can count on you.

   • Mark your attendance accurately each working day through our attendance/HR system.
   • Be available and responsive during core hours, whether in the office or working remotely.
   • Repeated late arrivals, early departures or unrecorded absence without a valid reason will be discussed with you by your manager.
   • Patterns of absence around weekends and holidays, or that affect client delivery, may be reviewed.
   • Misuse of leave (for example, sick leave taken when not unwell) is treated as a conduct matter.

   Our default is trust. We'd much rather talk early and help you sort out whatever is going on than let small attendance issues build up.

9. 09. Questions, Help & Escalation

   If anything here is unclear, or your situation doesn't fit neatly into a leave type, talk to us — we will work it out together.

   • First point of contact: your reporting manager, for day-to-day leave and attendance questions.
   • HR / policy matters, leave balances, parental leave planning and disputes: reach out to the founder's office.
   • Email: mayank@themanki.com
   • Phone: +91 70022 08642

   We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law or how we work; the latest version on our site always applies.