E-commerce portal Flipkart is offering an allowance of Rs 50,000 to its employees who want to adopt a child.
In a distinctive approach to promote adoption, the company has introduced an 'adoption allowance', effective from July 10, that can be used for legal, agency, regulatory costs or any other expenses that may arise during an adoption process. According to the new policy, the company will allow its female employees adopting a child below the age of 12 months the same benefits as under maternity leave policy, i.e., six months paid leave along with four months of flexible working hours.
For children aged over a year, the employee can avail three months paid leave and four months of flexible working hours. The male employees can avail up to six months of paid adoption leave (can be availed within the first six months) and four months of flexible working hours.
A spokesperson said, “If the employee is looking at extending their adoption leaves, but they don't have enough leaves left, they can take unpaid leave for up to three months and continuity on the same job is assured.”
Adoption rate in the country have been shameful even though we rank high in the population of abandoned, deserted or institutionalised children.
The firm liberalised its maternity and paternal leave policy, providing flexibility to employees to help them take care of personal commitments as well as be productive at work, from the beginning of this month.
