Mysore/Mysuru: In India, maternity leave was introduced in 1961 providing a 12-week paid leave to mothers and in 2017, it was increased to 26 weeks. 

However, there is no Government-mandated paternity leave policy for men. They are usually offered one or two weeks of paid leave in a Government sector while the leave policy in the private sector differs from company to company and most of them don’t offer paid paternity leaves.

N. Ranga Rao & Sons, makers of Cycle Pure Agarbathi, is leading the way in Mysuru by granting a 21-day paid paternity leave to employees for embracing fatherhood. And this step to honour fatherhood comes on the occasion of Father’s Day today (June 20).

This initiative will allow new fathers to spend quality time with their new-born baby and support their spouses during this time. The policy will be effective from today and will entitle the company’s working dads to three weeks of paid time to be fully engaged in baby and mom care.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning on the initiative, Managing Director of Cycle Pure Agarbathi Arjun Rangasaid, “A few days ago, an employee came to me asking for leave and when I asked why he needed leave, he told me that his wife had delivered a baby after undergoing a Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplant (SKPT) at Apollo Hospital. I was moved by his plight and after sanctioning his leave, we decided to grant paid paternity leaves. This was to ensure the well-being of our employees and their families.”

“Moreover, COVID-induced lockdown has showed everyone the value of family and hence, I thought that it was important for a father to be with the new-born in the first three weeks after child’s birth. And this is a crucial period too, according to doctors,” he added.

“Private companies must consider providing paternity leave and should not wait for the Government to issue an order in this regard. For me, every employee of the company is a family member and it is the responsibility of the company to take care of its family members. Like there is a saying, ‘Take care of your employees and the employees will take care of you’ and I believe this,” Arjun said.

Childbirth is a precious moment for a family and the new mothers need time and support. The 21-day paid paternity leave will now help fathers enjoy the precious moment of parenting, he added.