Accenture India Increases Paid Maternity Leave to 22 Weeks

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has increased maternity-leave benefits for its full-time and part-time women employees in India to 22 weeks of paid leave, up significantly from the current statutory requirement of 12 weeks.

The new policy, which was effective May 1, also allows employees in India who don't have enough accrued vacation time, but want additional time off beyond the maternity leave, to take unpaid leave for another 12 weeks. Employees also may take an additional four weeks of paid leave if there is an illness directly related to the mother’s pregnancy.

“There is an increasing number of families in India in which both parents have hectic schedules — balancing work and family commitments — while simultaneously caring for children and continuing to advance professionally, which can result in some women discontinuing their careers,” said Parag Pande, Accenture’s Human Resource lead for India and global lead for Learning and Talent Development Operations. “We want to help our people balance life and career choices, supporting them through the joys and challenges of parenting, as they continue to focus on their careers.”

In addition to the maternity-leave benefits, Accenture offers its employees in India up to eight weeks of fully paid adoption leave for primary caregivers of an adopted child, as well as one week of paid paternal leave for new fathers.

Accenture’s comprehensive support for parents in India also includes access to a variety of resources, such as discounted childcare services, interactive parenting workshops, employee assistance programs, and pre- and post-maternity counseling sessions. In addition, employees can work with their supervisors and career counselors to explore flexible work arrangements, such as working from home, where possible.