Flipkart announces scheme for employees to adopt kids

Leading e-retailer Flipkart on Monday unveiled a novel policy to allow its employees to adopt children.

"Our employees will be granted paid leave and Rs.50,000 allowance to meet legal, agency and regulatory costs for adoption. We have about 30,000 employees across the country," a Flipkart spokesman told IANS here.

Adoptive mothers will get six months paid leave and four months of flexible working hours, while adoptive fathers will be eligible for six weeks of paid leave.

Noting that more working couples were adopting children, the e-commerce player said its adoption assistance programme would add value and encourage work-life balance among professionals.

The company, however, did not give break-up of its employees, including working couples and how many of them will opt for adoption.

"The policy objective is to give employees time to bond with an adopted child. Absence from work on prior approval is flexible, as it allows more time to meet their personal needs and priorities," the company said in a statement.

Adoptive employees can also avail three months of unpaid leave with assurance of job continuity.

"We will facilitate tie-up with day-care centres for children up to six years and its cost will be shared equally by the company and employees," the statement noted.

In support of its initiative, the company quoted a report from the state-run central adoption resource authority, which said 1,368 children found new homes in the first quarter of this year across the country.