To realise gender parity, Indian IT giant Tech Mahindra has introduced adoption leave and extended bereavement leave to same-sex couples. According to the policy, same-sex couples can avail 12 weeks of paid adoption and three-day bereavement leave.
Tech Mahindra’s Chief People Officer told TOI,
“Today, employees demand a user- and customer-like experience as well as a great human experience. At Tech Mahindra, human experience is a function of user experience, customer experience, employee.”
The company also stated that it would encourage new parents of all genders to spend more time with their family in their first year of parenthood by providing greater flexibility in “work from home” policy.
Representational Image (Courtesy: Express Photo)
The company’s effort to expand its diversity and inclusion policies to members of the LGBTQ community took shape after a former employee accused the company’s Diversity Officer of harassing him and mocking his sexuality. He also accused her of mocking a religious minority. The company later sacked the employee.
LGBTQ inclusion in companies
Tech Mahindra’s updated policies come after Tata Steel asked its LGBTQ employees to declare their partners and avail HR benefits. The benefits include health check-ups, medical facilities, adoption leave, child care leaves and employee assistance programme. The company also announced financial assistance for employees opting for gender reassignment surgery and 30-day special leave.
In 2016, Accenture India introduced medical cover for employees opting to transition as its commitment to LGBTQ rights and diversity. French multinational Capgemini began participating in LGBT+ job fairs, building all-gender washrooms, providing medical insurance for same-sex employees as well as a mandatory online learning module for all its 100,000 employees.
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