Zomato introduces 26-week paid parental leave for both men and women

Zomato will offer 26 weeks of paid parental leave to all its employees, including new fathers. The new leave policy will also apply to surrogate or adoptive parents, as well as same-sex parents. The company will follow the government mandated policy in regions where it provides a longer period of leave than the company policy.

"For women across the globe, we will be offering 26 weeks paid leave, or will follow the government mandated policy, whichever is more. We will be offering exactly the same benefits to men as well. There won't be even an iota of difference in parental leave policy for men and women at Zomato going forward," Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal said in a statement on Tuesday.

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This policy also applies to non-birthing parents, and in cases of surrogacy, adoption, and same-sex partners, Goyal said in his statement.

While 26 weeks of maternity leave is mandated by Indian laws across organisations, no such provision exists for new fathers. Zomato has become the first company to offer such a long period for paternal leave.

In addition to the 26-week-long paid leave, Zomato will also provide $1,000 per child as endowment to parents of a newborn child working with the company. These benefits, parental leave and endowment, will also be available to employees who have had a child in the past six months.

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Bemoaning the difference in quantum of parental leave awarded to new fathers and mothers, Goyal said that such an unequal leave policy for men and women leads to a lot of imbalance at the top positions in corporate sector.

"I believe that young parents should be able to make a choice of how to care for their children. And that a myopic view of primary care-giving not only alienates one half of our workforce, but also creates circumstances that lead to fewer female leaders within organisations, the community and the nation," Goyal said.

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