Why do you need a leave rule at all?
Leaves are normal. People travel, fall ill, go home for festivals or work from another city for a week. Without a rule, every leave becomes a small negotiation: can I get money back, can I carry the days forward, what if I told you this morning?
A written rule makes it easy for everyone. You know what to cook, the customer knows what to expect, and nobody feels cheated. Share it when someone joins, and keep it the same for everyone.
How much notice and how many days should count?
- Notice: the leave must reach you before your cut-off time, for example by 9 pm for the next day's lunch. Food already planned or cooked is charged.
- Minimum days: many kitchens only adjust the money for leaves of a few days in a row, such as three or more. Single days off are part of the monthly plan.
- Your own off days: say which days are not included at all, such as Sundays.
Pick numbers that fit your kitchen. A small kitchen that buys fresh every morning can be more flexible than one that shops for the whole week.
Should you carry days forward, refund or not adjust?
There are three common ways, and each has a trade-off. Choose one and stick to it.
| Way | How it works | Good | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry forward | Missed days are added to the next month | No money goes back; customers feel treated fairly | Days pile up if someone travels often; set an expiry |
| Adjust the bill | Next month's amount is lower by the missed days | Clear and fair | More calculation each month |
| No adjustment | Short leaves are part of the plan | Simplest to run | Can feel unfair for long leaves; keep a minimum-days exception |
Many kitchens mix them: no adjustment for one or two days, carry forward or adjust for longer leaves with notice. Whatever you choose, write the rule in one or two lines that anyone can understand.
Long leaves and emergencies
When someone is away for most of a month, it is often simpler to pause the plan and restart it on the day they return, paying only for the days they eat. And when a customer is suddenly ill or has a family emergency, a little flexibility goes a long way. Bend the rule once, quietly, and you usually keep that customer for years.
How do you plan your own holidays and festival days?
You need rest too. Decide your holidays early, for festivals, family events and a few days off in the year, and tell customers at least a week before. Treat them like Sundays: not part of the plan, so no money changes hands.
On festival days, some kitchens cook a special menu instead of closing. If you do, announce it early and ask who wants it, because many regular customers will be away.
What should you reply when a customer takes leave?
A short confirmation stops confusion later. Say which days are off and what happens to the money, in the words of your rule.
How can customers mark leaves themselves?
The easiest leave is the one you never have to type. When each customer can skip a day or set leave dates on their own, before your cut-off, the leave is written down the moment they decide, and your count for that day is already right.
In HomeTiffin, every customer gets a private pause link to skip a day or set leave dates, and your count updates by itself. You can also mark a leave for them. See pause and leave and the guide on how to handle pauses and leaves.