Kolkata/Bangalore: Organisations are trying to boost productivity among employees by granting them giving them more flexibility in seeking leave from work. Some of the country’s leading companies are trying to innovate their paid leave component, reports Writankar Mukherjee & Devina Sengupta of the Economic Times. Other than casual leave, sick leave, privilege leave and earned leave which are common in every organization, there will other leaves such as the bereavement leave, stint oriented leave, parental leave granted to the employees of some organizations. More than this, there are leaves being shared among employees and infact there are leaves for reward and recognition and education. “Leave has taken on a different connotation, a way to provide a level of comfort to employees,” said P Dwarkanath, veteran HR professional and Director (human capital). Many companies are falling into this line. The Max Group, for instance, has conceptualised self-development leave of up to one month for employees to attend short-term courses and reward recognition leave whereby they are sent on a fully-reimbursed holiday along with family. It is also reviewing possibilities to allow accumulation of sick leaves to make its leave policy more employee-friendly. Accenture has recently launched ‘Hours That Help’, that provides employees an opportunity to receive additional or extra leave from fellow employees during a medical crisis or emergency. As part of this, employees can voluntarily donate their leave to fellow employees who require availing such leave beyond their stipulated ones. “The programme is expected to promote a spirit of caring, sharing, community help and supports our core values. It responds to a vital need of employees who are confronted with crisis situations, ranging from medical emergencies to health-related concerns,” said Prithvi Shergill, Accenture India lead.