CPSEs asked to enhance amenities for women staff

New Delhi: The central government has directed central public-sector enterprises (CPSEs) that they should ensure that the facilities available to women employees of CPSEs are in line with the similar facilities available to women employees of the central government.

The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), under the Ministry of Finance, is mandated to formulate policies, foster transparency, and promote responsible governance to enhance the competitiveness and social impact of public sector enterprises, the DPE website says.

In a recent directive to CPSEs, the DPE has asked them to formulate their own human resources rules with the approval of their respective boards, in consultation, if required, with the Ministries and Departments concerned. “To protect the interest of women employees these HR rules shall invariably incorporate all statutory provisions.”

Regarding other welfare measures too, all the administrative Ministries Departments have been requested to advise CPSEs under their control to bring uniformity in their rules in line with similar facilities available to women employees of the Central government with approval of the respective boards.

“In any case, there should be no variation in such measures between different grades of employees within a single CPSE,” it said.

Child care leave (CCL) is an important welfare measure. For Central government employees, CCL may be granted 100 per cent of the leave salary for the first 365 days and 80 per cent of the leave salary for the next 365 days. The rule says that CCL may be extended to single male parents, who may include unmarried or widower or divorced employees.

Other measures for women welfare include: maternity leave up to maximum period of 180 days; child adoption leave up to a maximum of 180 days; a provision of paternity leave up to a period of 15 days; and protection as granted against sexual harassment at the workplace.