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.
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