Time to talk about PLs

The case for period leave is compelling. It may well bring more women into the workforce. But the concept will likely be hostage to the whims of enlightened companies

So now, period leave. Should companies provide for it or not? In India, the question hinges on well-known knowns: Societal attitudes, opinions of male bosses and employees, and respect for women’s privacy. 

Growing women’s participation in the workforce over the decades has meant that women’s reproductive systems have increasingly exercised corporate managements. Witness the eye-rolling discussions on how to manage when women were inconsiderate enough to go off on extended maternity leave. In 2017, some FAANG companies offered women employees the opportunity to freeze their eggs at company cost. This perk, they explained, was designed to give young women more