India’s Independence Day on August 15 this year fell on a Thursday, leading many employees to take Friday, August 16 off to extend their holiday into a long weekend. However, a CEO’s recent announcement has turned heads and received widespread praise.
The CEO of Dot Media, Shubham Singhal, declared that all sick leave requests for August 16 would be rejected. In a LinkedIn post, he explained, “On the occasion of ‘World Sick Leave Day,’ we at Dot Media have decided to reject all sick leave requests! While we understand that taking a leave on the 16th August would make it a long weekend, it comes at a cost to the company.”
Instead of penalizing employees, Singhal decided to close the office for the day, granting everyone a well-deserved break. “The day corporates start valuing what their employees need, nothing can stop them from putting forth their best,” he added. The post concluded with a statement, “Because at Dot Media, our people come first, and their well-being drives our innovation.”
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The announcement was met with enthusiasm from LinkedIn users. One user commented, “It’s truly great for employees, and they will appreciate it. I’m glad that new-age founders and management are changing how things used to be.” Another praised the gesture, saying, “Love this Shubham Singhal… It’s all about people. No company can run without its employees. They are the backbone, and gestures like these keep them motivated and driven. Kudos.”
A third user highlighted the importance of responsibility: “This is a great initiative. Good for everyone’s well-being. While companies take such people-friendly cultural initiatives, we, as employees, must be responsible and accountable for our jobs. Despite all the perks, I have seen that many people would still make this leave extended till Tuesday. Many folks who do not value or care still are irresponsible and would further exploit, which is when companies tend to revert or remove such policies. It is important to understand that if we want such great perks to continue and companies to adapt, we all as employees should be responsible for our jobs, and when we return to work, it should be all work and on time. Cheers.”
A fourth user inquired about job openings, to which the CEO responded by inviting them to send their CV.
