Recognising the need for a more inclusive approach, Microsoft India is introducing family caregiver leave for its staff.
Under this enhanced scheme, staff will be entitled to four weeks of paid leave to take care of an immediate family member with a serious health condition. In addition, maternity benefits for adoptive parents or those who choose to have a child via surrogacy is at 26 calendar weeks of paid leave. Paternity leave has also been increased to six weeks at full pay, so as to allow more time for parents to bond with the new child.
Director of Human Resources at Microsoft India, Ira Gupta said, “At Microsoft, we are committed to fostering a healthy work-life balance by enhancing productivity and efficiency for our employees through a flexible work environment as part of our workplace advantage philosophy.
“Our employees bring their best to work every day, to support our mission, strategy and culture. So, in turn, we are aiming to bring the best to our employees by continually assessing, refining and enhancing the world-class benefits we offer to ensure that they have the time they need to care for the people who matter most in their lives.”
Committed to a culture of diversity, Microsoft is stepping up efforts to provide a more encouraging work culture. By providing generous and flexible parental leave policies, the company hopes to meet the wider needs of its staff and to instill a sense of belonging which will help keep attrition rates down. This initiative departs from the conventional belief that extended parental leave entitlement will incur additional cost to the organisation.
“This move is reiteration of Microsoft’s commitment to empower its employees through a suite of benefits,” the director said.
Gupta added that Microsoft India is actively reviewing its family leave policies across the globe to ensure that all countries offer an appropriate level of paid leave to support Microsoft employees and their families.
