Taking a major step towards creating an inclusive workplace, IT major Tech Mahindra has announced that same-sex couples will be able to avail 12 weeks of paid adoption leave as per the new policies. The three-day bereavement leave would also be allowed to same-sex partners, Tech Mahindra said.
The new policies are aimed at expanding the company's diversity and inclusion policy, especially those from the LGBTQ+ community, new parents, cancer patients and survivors. However, under Indian laws, same-sex couples in India cannot adopt children.
Tech Mahindra said it would encourage new parents (all genders) to spend more time with their newborns and family in the first year of parenthood by providing greater flexibility in the "work from home" policy. Further, support groups for employees, like new parents, cancer patients/survivors and fitness and lifestyle, would also be created, it said.
Besides these, LGBTQ+ committees called ‘Kaleidoscope’ have been formed across geographies. These groups share stories of community members to the larger audience to create cultural assimilation and sensitize people. Tech Mahindra is also in the process of adding a gamification element to the ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ training to create a seamless and immersive experience for all employees, the statement added.
"As a ‘company with a purpose', Tech Mahindra is excited to embark on this transformational journey of empowering our associates by keeping their needs foremost," Harshvendra Soin, Chief People Officer, Tech Mahindra, said in a statement.
"Today, the employees demand a user and customer like experience, as well as a great human experience. At Tech Mahindra, we live by the formula of HX = f (UX, CX, EX,… ) that is, Human Experience is a function of {User Experience, Customer Experience, Employee Experience}. Whether we are delivering value to our customers or empowering our associates to RiseTM, Human Experience (HX) underscores every step of our interaction journey,” the statement added.
This is also part of the company’s ‘TechMPoweringMe’ initiative where the company has detailed key HR initiatives that are focused around employee well-being and are differentiators for the organization. These policies and initiatives impact employee lifecycle at various touchpoints, ranging from welcoming a new-born baby to respecting and providing for employees who intend to undergo a sexual reassignment surgery.
(With PTI inputs)