Online food delivery major Swiggy has now given all its full-time employees a gender-neutral childcare and parenthood policy, which gives the primary caregiver 26 weeks leave and secondary caregiver 15 days leave. This includes adoptive mothers, single parents and caregivers, irrespective of their gender and sexuality.
A primary caregiver, in this regard, would be a biological, commissioning or adoptive mother, single parent or LGBTQ+ parent through adoption, fertility care and surrogacy.
“These policies have been crafted keeping in mind the flexibility new age parents require to manage their family needs, career demands and transitions, while continuing to experience dynamic career opportunities and development. The benefits also encompass parents who don’t necessarily have to be the birth-giver, making it inclusive,” Swiggy said in a release.
Girish Menon, Vice President of Human Resources said, “Keeping the journey of parenthood and the parent life cycle in mind, we have designed these gender-neutral policies to best suit diverse workforce. Swiggy’s childcare policies are inclusive and covers each and every stage of parenthood, right from the point of deciding to be a parent to on-going childcare. We want a parent to be absolutely stress-free in one of their most important journeys in life.”
Apart from the leave policy, the company is also providing ergonomic seating in office, reserved parking space, support for domestic travel (for the child and the caregiver), travel reimbursements, wellness session reimbursements and ongoing bonding leave for up to 15 days.
Additionally, adoption benefits, along with fertility care and for surrogacy will be given five days in a calendar year for counselling sessions and fulfil other legal and medical procedures
Additionally, the company is also giving six weeks as miscarriage leave for the employee and one-week paid leave to their partners.
Swiggy’s policy comes just a few months after Zomato’s policy, which offered 26 weeks to both parents and not just mothers.
In 2017, India passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which increased maternity leave available to working women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for the first two children. However, paternity leave is only for two weeks.