Talent is acquired through experience and most of the companies are not ready to part with their employees on the pretext of pregnancy. Working mothers are given all the facilities so that they remain in service and not quit the job. By increasing the maternity leave from three months to eight months useful purpose is served for both employer and the employees. Already women employees are given liberty to work under flexible time keeping their responsibility at home into consideration. Day care in offices is not much prevalent in India but in foreign countries it is mandatory to have such an arrangement to keep pace with the modern day requirement.
Again, the work from home facility is offered to women during post-delivery period so that they can recover well to commence their full time duty without any health issues. There is no substitute to experience and we cannot get the same quantum of work done by a new comer or a fresh candidate. Under the circumstances, it is advisable to have a working arrangement which will benefit both the parties and the work move smoothly. Further, hike in salary is offered every year to keep the employee in good stead and not allowing the women staff to leave the job once for all or look for an alternative job.
Human Resource department should be instructed to keep the efficient workers certain leeway by way of flexible timings but at the same extract maximum work when the women staff present during stagnated working hours. It is a right step in the right direction to extend maternity leave from three to eight months as the working mothers need not go on loss of pay and thereby lose interest in the nature of job and look for better opportunities. Issue is very simple. It is time to keep the working mothers with a chance to work with the institution rather than being strict to annoy them and then leave the job once for all.
C.K Subramaniam
