March 8: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is back in the news after its chairman, SN Subrahmanyan, announced a one-day Menstrual Leave policy for women employees. The move is being made months after Subrahmanyan courted huge criticism for supporting a 90-hour workweek, a move that elicited criticism across the board. While some are hailing the new policy as a forward-thinking move, others are questioning its motive. The leave is applicable only to the employees of the parent company
“This stinks of ‘damage repair.’ This shows how distant his knowledge and thereafter sensitivity is about women. He should just keep quiet for a few months and let public memory fade. That’s a better damage repair than putting his foot in his mouth every time he speaks.” Another user expressed concern over its implications, stating, “And now they will probably stop hiring women.”
Numerous users presumed the potential misuse or limits attached to this policy. A few even posted that employees may be required to present evidence while utilizing the leave. Others also presumed that enabling work-from-home (WFH) would have worked better.
While there was criticism, others welcomed the decision as a step towards gender equality in corporate India. One user on X commented, “This is a huge win for gender parity at the workspace. And kudos to Larsen & Toubro and Chairman SN Subrahmanyan for taking this massive step towards progressive policies in corporate India. Menstrual leave must be mandatory.” Another user further commented, “Hope he doesn’t expect women employees to make up menstrual leave later or next week…”
The policy is only for women employees of L&T’s parent company, but not those in its technology and financial services subsidiaries. L&T employs around 60,000 people, with about 5,000 of them women, representing some 9% of the workforce. These women will be the recipients of the new leave policy.
This follows closely on the heels of Subrahmanyan causing outrage for urging workers to put in 90-hour weeks and lambasting those who “stare at their wives.” L&T later justified his remarks as part of its efforts towards national development.
Although similar menstrual leave policies have been introduced by companies such as Swiggy and Zomato, India’s large corporations have not yet done so. Whether this move will be a precedent for other large corporations is yet to be determined. Keep Reading Questiqa.in.
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