NEW DELHI: There are no uniform rules for female
employees in government departments and organizations and they are treated by
varying yardsticks when it comes to essential benefits like maternity and child
care leave (CCL).
Dismayed after
finding that maternity leave can vary from 90 to 135 days, a Parliamentary
panel has suggested that all government departments and organizations should
ensure 180 days of leave for their women employees
.
The panel found
many organizations grant 90, 85 or 135 days of maternity leave. It has said
child care leave (CCL) of 730 days must be granted with pay to women employees
across the board in government.
The committee
was also distressed by the low presence of women employees in Government
organizations. "It is disheartening to observe that it is significantly
low...10.04% as per the 2012 census of Central Government employees," the
panel said. The representation is particularly poor in semi-urban and rural
areas.
The Standing
Committee on Law, Personnel and Public Grievances on the 'status of women in
government employment and in public sector undertakings' was unhappy that while
a majority of the organizations do grant CCL, but they do so without pay.
For example,
Mahanandi Coalfields Ltd gives CCL to female employees working as executives
but not for non-executive category. In Cochin Shipyard Ltd, CCL is not granted
since there is no specific direction from the department of public
enterprises.
The policy has
been discontinued in Mormugao Port Trust even though CCL benefits have been
extended to all civilian female industrial employees in government since
September, 2008. But many women employees hesitate to avail the leave, if
granted without pay.
Introduction of
"flexible timings" for female employees, especially young mothers, so
that organizations can retain talent has been mooted by the committee headed by
Congress MP Shantaram Naik as the panel found household responsibilities as a
major reason for attrition among women employees.
The government
has been asked to explore the policy on "staggered working hours" or
"work at home" for female employees. The panel was informed that the
recommendation of Sixth Pay Commission regarding staggered working hours was
not accepted by the Government.
Single women
should be given postings closest to their hometown or places of their choice,
the panel said. "It should be mandatorily ensured," it said, adding
that this "pertinent factor" should be kept in mind during allocation
of postings by department heads.
The provision
for giving same station posting to couples may be given statutory backing, the
panel recommended as it found the instruction is not always adhered to
.
Women employees
who travel beyond office hours should be provided with security and proper
transport by the employer in order to ensure their safety, the Committee
said.
The panel also
noted that action taken on complaints of sexual harassment at workplace is
"not satisfactory". It felt merely transferring a delinquent employee
to a different branch or station is inadequate and strict disciplinary action
is needed. "The punishment has to be deterrent for prospective
offenders," the panel said.
