Diwali cheer! How is India Inc keeping employees happy? Breaks, bonuses & more

This Diwali, companies are joining festivities, making life easier for their employees with flexible work options, extra time off and bonuses. RPG, for example, is following a 50% work-from-home policy which allows employees to work from home or any location they prefer, and adjust their hours with their managers, even during the festive season. For those working from office, the company is recommending the new Worli metro line in Mumbai to avoid traffic jams. "The Worli metro station in the Aqua line (Metro line 3), which became fully operational a few weeks ago, is just about 500 metres from our head office (Mumbai)," the RPG spokesperson told ET.Deloitte is also giving employees more flexibility. In some offices, a day next week is optional. "Since most colleagues availed this option, we decided to keep those offices closed and have WFH for those who haven't taken leave," said Deepti Sagar, chief people and experience officer, Deloitte India. "Our continuing hybrid working pattern benefits us with each team having the discretion to decide whether WFH will work better due to festive season traffic or any other circumstances."Meanwhile, other companies are offering longer breaks. Embassy Group is giving staff a Diwali holiday from 18th to 26th October, while SgurrEnergy is offering a nine-day break to all 200-plus employees. Embassy is also planning festive luncheons, personalised gifts, and bonuses, its spokesperson told ET.Bonuses are further adding to the festive cheer. "Diwali bonuses in India are largely on track this year, especially in the manufacturing sector, including industrial goods, automotive, and consumer durables," said Rajul Mathur, consulting leader, Work and Rewards, WTW India. Some South Indian companies have already paid bonuses, while the automotive sector expects higher payouts thanks to strong sales.Car dealerships are set for higher payouts this festive season. "For the blue-collar workforce, there is already a trend of ex gratia bonus for the year being paid during the Diwali month in addition to Diwali gifts, etc. This will continue this year," said Yagesh Singhania, director at Deloitte. He added that most automotive OEMs have already paid increments and bonuses for white-collar staff. Dealerships can expect higher payouts in September, October, and November due to increased bookings. "OEMs have already created multiple festival incentive plans to encourage dealerships to boost sales."