Twitter chat: Is extended paid maternity leave the solution?

If you didn’t join us for the Twitter discussion on whether extended paid maternity leave is a good idea or a bad one, here’s what surpassed.

Joining in the #womenatwork chat were HR personnel from various industries. @RuchiChallu @shamikv @Raks_d @kunjal23 @nimu9 @hrdictionary to name a few.

The first question posed was - whether the 6 month paid maternity leave is justified. Nidhi Sand of Wipro said that it can be tricky for business continuity. Laxmi Lobo (@online_florist) felt that it would affect the way employers feel about hiring women.

When asked what the general feel of "The 6 month paid maternity leave policy" was within the industry, there were several mixed reactions. “It’s personal and subjective” said HR professional Nischala. Some felt that the challenge remains the same irrespective of the extension of the maternity policy, a working mother will always have the same challenges after all, whether the child is 3 or 6 months old.

Shamik Vora felt that flex work, work from home are good options for office goers and that nothing would beat a crèche facility, when asked what support systems would be good for #womenatwork. Meetu Khanduja felt that some companies already offer such facilities. But the question remains – how many companies do we have that offer facilities specifically for working mothers.

Women could opt for extended leave or utilize annual leave or make use of the childcare leave. Wouldn’t that be better? Asked @SHEROESIndia during the session. There were some very pertinent responses about what to do if a woman doesn’t return to the workplace or how to settle maternity leave payments. Kunjal Kamdar tweeted a very real fear - that there will be many cos who will blame it on this policy & hire less women.

For what kind of industries will the policy work and for what is it a complete no-no? While some felt it was easier for the creative industry to offer flex hours, some felt that the online and technology led sectors would do well offering women flex hours.

So what is your take? Would you support / embrace this #womenatwork policy of extended maternity leave given a choice?

Read the whole chat here.