@ Sidhartha,
Leave can not be claimed as a matter of right.
Leave has to be intimated for approval and approved.
Even in case of Casual Leave prior intimation is to be given to employer/leave sanctioning authority to avail leave.
The Factory Act, Shops and Establishments Act sets the guidelines for leave rules and polices.
The establishments can frame its Leave Policies.
In case of establishments where trade unions are involved in deliberations of employment contracts and conditions, leave rules etc, leave rules are decided after pragmatic discussions/negotiations/consultations ( as specified in IESO Act) and are firmed up accordingly.
The company is just making it mandatory to inculcicate some discipline so that the leave application is positively submitted WITHIN SAME MONTH.
The service conditions may guide that if employee is on unauthorized absence for >=8 days the employee may be deemed to have abandoned the employment and can be terminated.
The advantage of a dedicated portal for employees and for submitting leave applications is that there is a digital record in servers of the company and which can be archived and retrieved for matters relating to leave rules, leave encashment and for compliance to various laws……………….
There seems to be nothing wrong in decision of the company.
Probably the employee would be shown leave balance, eligibility, types of leave available, and a printout can be generated.
The system should be flexible and should accommodate if any employee is sick, away from office and in such a case either the employee should be allowed to enter details of leave in portal or reporting/leave sanctioning authority should have authority to enter leave details of his reportees……………..
Usually such recourse is provided in such software’s……………..
We are afraid that you can not stop the company……………