
Accenture brings gender-neutral insurance & leave policies
Endorsing equality for all, Accenture India, an IT consulting giant has introduced gender-neutral policies centered on the caregiver rather than gender or marital status.
Life insurance benefits at Accenture India were earlier limited to the employee’s spouse and family. Now, the nominee can be anyone chosen by the employee of the company- including partners of LGBT+ staffers.
Paternal leave has been extended to all secondary caregivers and Maternal leave, which was previously only for those who identified themselves as women, has now been extended to all eligible employees who can bear and give birth to a child including transmen who can bear a child are eligible for the 26-week leave.
Surrogacy and adoption leave can be taken by all primary caregivers, no matter their gender identification. Previously, solely feminine workers have been eligible for surrogacy depart. Adoption depart was beforehand open to workers who recognized themselves as women and men.
For bereavement leave, the definition of close family members has been extended to cover partners of LGBT+ employees. An employee may avail this advantage of paid time within the occasion of the loss of life of shut relations outlined as one’s partner, kids, mother and father, grandparents, siblings, and oldsters’ in-laws.
Accenture was one of the first company to introduce medical cowl for gender reassignment surgical procedure in 2016.
Commenting on development Lakshmi C, Managing Director, and Head HR, Accenture India said, ” We’re breaking gender stereotypes to focus on caregiving. At Accenture in India, we have made changes to our life insurance and leave policies to ensure that all people benefit equally, including persons from the LGBT+ community,”
“We are committed to creating a culture of equality where everyone can thrive irrespective of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, religion, culture, faith, abilities, gender expression, or identity,” she added.
Transwomen, transmen, lesbians, gay people, etc. have existed since the beginning of creation. It is time we accept that there are humans who may think & feel differently and that they have a right to life and every benefit that the majority enjoys.