Paternity Leave Policy in India 2024: What employers should be aware of

Eligibility Criteria

• All male employees are considered eligible. Some companies allow the LGBT community.
• Applicable both in case of birth or adoption of a child.
• The employee should be already employed in the organisation for a minimum of 80 days.
• It is subject to the regulations laid down by the government and the employer-specific paternity leave policy.

How Can Paternity Leave Help an Organisation?

1. Increased Job Satisfaction and Retention

It shows commitment from those companies that provide paternity leaves to the family, hence helping employees to manage their work and family life balance. On the other hand, it also shows the company’s commitment towards the employees, further increasing job satisfaction and retention of employees and reducing turnover costs. 

2. Increased Productivity

The employees who get paternity leave become more productive and engaged once they join back. Due to less stress and increased support, the performance also increases.

3. Improved Work-Life Balance

It improves the work-life balance as fathers get time to spend with their newborns and wives at the early stages of parenthood. This will lead to reduced stress levels and increased mental health, further resulting in high performance at the time they join back.

4. Enhanced Company’s Culture

It depicts the company’s culture as the level of importance of both motherhood and fatherhood being equal in the eyes of the company. This will result in a positive culture in the company, which will help attract talented individuals.

5. Legal Compliance

Paternity leaves, in many of the countries, have now become a legal requirement. The companies providing paternity leaves are hence following legal compliances to help avoid legal matters.

Best Practices to Implement Paternity Leave Policies

Provided below are the best practices used to implement Paternity Leave policies in India:

• The paternity leave policies must align with the Indian Labor Rules and Regulations.
• The paternity leave policies must be well-communicated. The relevant details and information must be stated in a policy document. 
• The employees should be well guided about the procedure of applying for paternity leave. The company should make the application process easy to support the employees.
• The employees must be provided with proper support and guidance during and after the paternity leave period.

Conclusion

Paternity leaves are emerging as an added advantage for companies and provide a better work-life balance to employees. In India, it has become quite important to ensure that fathers get enough time to bond with their newborns. As an employer, the rules and regulations must be well known, ensuring compliance with the paternity leave rules. By implementing effective paternity leave policies, companies can obviously attract new and retain their old employees, establishing a healthy and sustainable workplace.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltd’s Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.)