Longer Diwali breaks: companies give employees more time to celebrate

Diwali cheer came with an extended holiday at several companies this year, with organisations going beyond the standard festival break to give their workforce time off ranging from three to nine days.

The extended time off reflects a growing emphasis on giving employees the opportunity to celebrate with their families, travel to their hometowns and recharge away from work, making employee well-being a key part of festive plans.’

Real estate developer Embassy Group is giving its employees a nine-day break from November 7 to 15. The practice covers approximately 2000 employees across teams and locations.


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Maria Rajesh, chief human resources officer, Embassy Group said the extended break, which has been a longstanding tradition, reflects the company’s people-first culture and its belief that employees should have the time and space to celebrate with their loved ones.

Cashback and coupon rewards platform CashKaro meanwhile is giving its approximately 320 employees six consecutive days off from November 6 to 11. According to Swati Bharagava, co-founder, CashKaro, the company follows the practice every year, scheduling the extended break after the festive sale season, one of the busiest business periods.

“This gives employees time to be with their families, celebrate the festival and recharge, helping them return to work feeling refreshed, with renewed energy and focus,” said Bhargava. Many team members may also choose to extend their break by combining it with the following week through planned leaves or work-from-home.

Fashion e-commerce platform Myntra is offering a two-day holiday on November 9 and 10, following the conclusion of its Big Fashion Festival,

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Govindraj MK, CHRO, Myntra said the celebrations are aimed at recognising employees’ contributions during the busy festive sale period while giving them an opportunity to enjoy the festive season with their loved ones. Myntra’s Benefits Bonanza too has included a strong focus on employee well-being through initiatives such as free health screenings, massage sessions and financial wellness sessions.

At diversified conglomerate Aspect Global, employees will get a four-day festive break from November 8 to 11. The approximately 2,300 employee-strong group is allowing people to combine this break with their available leave entitlements, for them to enjoy a week-long break, subject to operational requirements and approvals.

“Our endeavour is to encourage employees to reconnect with their families, travel to their hometowns, celebrate traditions and return to work refreshed and rejuvenated,” said Praveen Menon, group chief human resources officer, Aspect Global.

Meanwhile, JSW MG Motor India is aligning leave to create a three-day break, giving employees greater flexibility to celebrate the occasion. The company, which has a pan-India workforce of over 8000 people across direct and indirect roles, also organised shared meals and festive activities across its offices.

For Fidelity International, the focus is on bringing teams together through company-sponsored get-togethers, office celebrations, seasonal menus and community-focused activities.