WOMAN SPECIAL ........Cos Roll Out New Initiatives for Young Mothers

Cos Roll Out New Initiatives for Young Mothers





To attract and retain women, companies are offering crèche and nursing rooms at workplaces and even allowing them to take their children along on business trips

Staffing services firm TeamLease Services rolled out a novel initiative for young mothers in its workforce in November. Woman employees can now take children up to five years of age when they travel for business or training, and the company will pay for not just the travel and accommodation of the child, but for the accompanying spouse or caretaker as well.

It was an instant hit with staff.

“Such initiatives bend the curve in favour of both the organisation as well as women in the workforce,“ said Rituparna Chakraborty , cofounder and senior vice-president at TeamLease. Even in her own case, Chakraborty said, it was the support of the company that helped her take on new challenges after her daughter's birth.

Female talent leaks out of organisations at every level ­ but interventions at critical career points can often have a big impact. Recognising that simply extending maternity leave can only go so far in preventing many working mothers or mothers-to-be from dropping out of the workforce, many established companies and startups are rolling out new policies and putting in place facilities to make it easier for them to stay the course.

“India Inc is taking a three-fold approach to maternity benefits: realise, solutionise and sensitise,“ said Mansee Singhal, principal talent at HR consulting firm Mercer India.“Progressive benefits really make a company stand out as an employer of choice. Going beyond statutory policies to provide employees great preand post-natal flexibility as well as childcare benefits will help them retain talent.“ These companies and startups are doing exactly that, with a basket of benefits for women embarking upon the journey of motherhood.

ShopClues, the latest entrant to the unicorn club, in July extended maternity benefits by entering into a tie-up with the Mother's Pride chain of preschools. Employees can avail of a 50% discount on the annual fee for the first year. “We are currently working towards more tie-ups with other preschools,“ said Shikha Taneja, senior director of HR.

Another new-age company, Myntra, in August rolled out a `Parent Policy' under which expectant mothers are not just served fruit at their desks daily for better nutrition, but also get a baby shower and have their transport reimbursed during the last few months to commute comfortably. Discounts are also provided for diagnostic interventions and treatments during pregnancy and childbirth.

Chennai-based artificial intelligence startup Mad Street Den is in the midst of talks to provide full-time nanny care for employees who require the facility. “Half our employees are women and it stands to reason that familial perks will go a long way in retaining our best talent. We encourage employees to bring in their kids, and are opening a daycare space as well,“ said founder Ashwini Asokan.

Some startups have made the most of shifting into a bigger office to ex tend benefits for new mums. Urban Ladder's new workplace includes a nursing room for new mothers, which also doubles up as a resting room for those expecting babies. Hopscotch, where more than 60% of the workforce is women, earlier this year moved into an office four times larger than the previous one, and now offers in-house creche facility, a nap room for expecting mothers and a diaper changing room. Female employees even have the option to bring in their own domestic help, said founder Rahul Anand. Older companies, too, are equally proactive.

Philips India, for instance, has re cently revamped its maternity-rela ted policies to include, among other things, creche tie-ups and monetary support for children below four years options for part-time.

ET VIEW

Tapping Women Power

Providing such facilities makes eminent sense, given the special role played by women in raising families. It will help employees achieve their potential, lead to higher levels of productivity and retention, helping businesses to grow. Others, especially in the informal sector, must take a leaf out of this book. India needs to reverse the trend of a fall in female work participation. But for more women will join the workforce, employers need to understand their problems in balancing worklife responsibilities. High quality childcare will certainly help.

Brinda Dasgupta & Sreeradha D Basu

ET16FEB16