Indian BPO announces industry-first menstrual leave policy

GURUGRAM, INDIA — Digital business solutions firm Worxpertise announced the implementation of a new menstrual leave policy for its female employees in India, effective April 1, 2023.
The policy — a first in India’s outsourcing industry — will give women 12 days of paid leave per year to manage their menstruation-related challenges.
According to Worxpertise, their goal for this new policy is to support self-care during periods and menopause without depleting the leaves of their women employees.
“We are a small but fast-growing company, and while we expand our business, there are certain core principles that we want to adhere to. One of these is about creating an environment where all our women colleagues can grow professionally and personally without any discrimination,” said Worxpertise Founder and Managing Director Rajiv Gupta.
The menstrual leave policy includes one leave per month, whether working from the office or home. The process for availing of these leaves is the same as other types of leave and can be accessed through the company’s human resources information system (HRIS) employee portal.
The firm also reiterated that it is a “no-questions-asked policy” to end the taboo surrounding menstruation in India.
Asian countries like Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam have their versions of menstrual leave to give women reprieve from their work every month.
Meanwhile, European countries Spain, the United Kingdom (UK), Wales, and African nation Zambia also grant paid menstrual leave to their workers.