Types of leave in India for employees
There are seven types of leave with legal backing in India: earned leave (also called privilege leave), casual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave for government staff, compensatory off, and leave without pay. Marriage leave, bereavement leave and sabbaticals are company policy, not law. The day counts for CL, SL and EL come from your state's Shops and Establishments Act, and they differ state to state. This page links to a guide for each type, with the numbers for all 36 states and union territories.
Last updated 12 September 2026.
Which law decides leave in India?
There is no single leave law. For a shop or office, the numbers come from your state's Shops and Establishments Act. The spread is wide. Sikkim gives 20 days of earned leave a year. Kerala gives 12. Chhattisgarh gives one month of privilege leave per year of service. Rajasthan and Odisha have no casual leave in their acts at all.
The four labour codes have been in force since 21 November 2025. The OSH Code sets annual leave at 1 day per 20 days worked, with eligibility after 180 days in a calendar year and a 30 day carry forward cap. The government's own note says the existing acts and rules continue to apply during the transition. So for now, follow your state act.
Maternity leave is central law. 26 weeks paid, in every establishment with 10 or more people. Sick pay has a second layer: employees covered by ESI can claim a sickness benefit from ESIC at 70 percent of wages for up to 91 days a year, separate from the sick leave days you grant.
Marriage leave, bereavement leave and sabbaticals have no statute behind them. If you offer them, your policy sets the terms.
How many leaves is an employee entitled to in India?
One row per leave type. Where the answer depends on the state, the linked guide has the full table for all 36 states and union territories.
| Leave type | Who mandates it | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Earned or privilege leave (EL, PL) | State act; OSH Code for covered establishments | Commonly 1 day per 20 worked, or 12 to 20 fixed days a year. Carries forward up to a cap. Paid out at exit in most states. |
| Casual leave (CL) | State act | 6 to 14 days a year depending on the state. Lapses at year end almost everywhere. |
| Sick leave (SL) | State act, plus ESI cash benefit | 7 to 15 days a year. Bihar, Jharkhand, Tripura and West Bengal pay it at half wages. ESI pays 70 percent of wages up to 91 days for covered staff. |
| Maternity leave | Central law | 26 weeks paid, up to 8 before delivery, after 80 days of service. 12 weeks for adopting and commissioning mothers. |
| Paternity leave | CCS rules, government servants only | 15 days for central government staff. No private sector mandate. |
| Compensatory off | OSH Code for lost weekly holidays | Equal days off, within the month the holiday was due or the two months after. |
| Leave without pay | No law mandates it | Unpaid absence after paid leave runs out. Terms come from company policy. |
Sources for every figure are on the individual guides below.
The ten guides
Statutory types first, policy types last. Each guide stands on its own.
- 01
Earned leave and privilege leave
Accrual rates, carry forward caps and encashment at exit, state by state.
- 02
Casual leave
6 to 14 days by state, why CL lapses at year end, and the clubbing rules.
- 03
Sick leave
Days by state, the half pay states, certificates, and how ESI fits in.
- 04
Maternity leave
The 26 week rule, who qualifies, adoption and surrogacy, creches, ESIC.
- 05
Paternity leave
What government staff get, what private employers decide for themselves.
- 06
Compensatory off
When comp off is a legal right, the OSH Code window, and expiry rules.
- 07
Leave without pay
How LOP days are deducted on the payslip and what the policy should say.
- 08
Marriage leave
No law requires it. How to set days, eligibility and notice if you offer it.
- 09
Bereavement leave
No law requires it. A short clause covering days, scope and process.
- 10
Sabbatical leave
Long absence by agreement. Pay, benefits and return terms to fix upfront.
How leave connects to payroll and compliance
Earned leave balances get paid out in the full and final settlement when someone exits. Sick leave hands off to ESI for covered employees. Leave without pay reduces the wage that PF and professional tax are computed on. All of these rules belong in a written leave policy, which the HR policy generator produces from a questionnaire.
The parent index of these guides, covering PF, gratuity, Form 16 and the rest, is at statutory compliance topics.
Common questions
What are the main types of leave in India?
Earned or privilege leave, casual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, compensatory off and leave without pay are the types with legal backing for private employees. Paternity leave is statutory only for government servants. Marriage, bereavement and sabbatical leave exist purely as company policy.
What do CL, SL, EL and PL stand for?
CL is casual leave, for short notice personal needs. SL is sick leave. EL is earned leave, which accrues with days worked, and PL is privilege leave, an older name for the same thing. Different state acts use different names for the earned category, but the mechanics match.
How many leaves is an employee entitled to in a year in India?
It depends on the state. A common pattern is earned leave at 1 day per 20 days worked, which lands near 15 days a year, plus 7 to 12 days of casual leave and 7 to 12 days of sick leave under the state Shops and Establishments Act. The tables on the linked guides give the exact figures for all 36 states and union territories.
Did the new labour codes change leave entitlements?
The codes took effect on 21 November 2025. The OSH Code sets annual leave at one day per 20 days worked and lowers eligibility to 180 days worked in a year. The government has said that during the transition the existing acts and rules continue to apply, so state act entitlements still govern day to day practice.
Is leave encashment mandatory?
For earned leave, almost every state act requires the employer to pay for leave that was due but not taken when the employment ends. Casual and sick leave usually lapse instead. The exact wording differs by state, so check your act's leave section before writing the policy.
Put your leave policy in writing
Offrd generates a leave policy for your company from a short questionnaire, along with offer letters, payslips and the rest of the HR paperwork. 50 free credits on signup, no card, and credits do not expire.