National carrier Air India has approved a scheme whereby employees can opt for a leave without pay scheme for six months to up to five years.
An internal order, dated July 7, authorises Air India Chairperson and Managing Director Rajiv Bansal to send an employee on compulsory leave without pay for six months or a period of two years, extendable up to five years.
Employees who will be send on such leaves would be identified on the basis of factors like suitability, efficiency, competence, quality of performance, health of the employee, instance of non-availability of the employee for duty in the past as a result of ill health or otherwise and redundancy.
This scheme was approved at the 102nd meeting of Air India’s Board of Directors.
As per the order, departmental heads at headquarters and regional heads have been asked to assess employees and forward names of those on which the new leave without pay scheme can be exercised.
Recently, the Ministry for Civil Aviation rejected cash-strapped Air India’s request for equity support. Air India has been at the forefront of the government’s repatriation programme, the Vande Bharat Mission.
