Comp off rules: how compensatory off works, with examples
Updated · 4 min read · By the Timerfly team
The short answer
A comp off (compensatory off) is a paid day off given back to someone who worked on a weekly off or a holiday. Companies usually require it to be approved, give half a day for half a day worked, and set a time limit such as 30 to 90 days to use it. The rules are company policy, within your state’s labour laws.
How comp off works
Someone works on a day they would normally have off: a Sunday, a public holiday or a festival holiday. Instead of paying them extra for it, the company gives them another day off later, with full pay. That day is the comp off.
It’s common in teams that can’t stop for weekends or holidays: support desks, BPOs, IT teams on release weekends, operations and field staff.
The rules most companies set
These are common practices in India, not legal requirements. Pick yours and write them down.
- Approval first. Working on a day off has to be asked for or approved by the manager in advance. Turning up unasked doesn’t earn a comp off.
- Half or full. A full day worked earns a full comp off; a half day (for example 4 hours or more) earns half.
- A time limit. The comp off has to be taken within, say, 30, 60 or 90 days, or it lapses.
- Not paid out. Unused comp off isn’t turned into money, unless the policy treats extra days as overtime instead.
- Booked like leave. The comp off is requested and approved like any other leave, so the team isn’t short-staffed.
Examples
| What happened | Comp off earned | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Worked a full Sunday, approved | 1 day | To be used within the policy’s limit |
| Worked 4 hours on a public holiday, approved | Half a day | If the policy gives halves |
| Logged in from home for an hour on a Sunday, unasked | None | Not approved in advance |
| Earned a comp off 100 days ago, never used | Lapsed | With a 90-day limit |
Comp off or overtime pay?
Some companies pay for work on a day off instead, as overtime. Comp off is simpler for salaried office staff and keeps costs flat; overtime pay suits hourly or shift workers and some establishments where the law expects it. Whichever you choose, use one rule for everyone in the same role.
Keeping track
Comp off goes wrong when nobody can prove who worked which day off. The record you need is simple: the date, the hours actually worked and the approval.
Timerfly records work whenever it happens. On a weekly off or a company holiday nobody is marked late or absent, and any time worked shows on that day and counts as extra hours, with the full detail of when work started and stopped. The monthly payroll Excel lists extra hours per person, so you can grant comp off from a record everyone can see.