Maternity Leave for surrogacy

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Recently, NOIW (National Organization of Insurance Workers), our sister Organization for Class-III & IV employees, wrote to LIC management to allow maternity leave to female employees opting for surrogacy. The letter is being reproduced, here-in-below:

The Executive Director(Personnel),
L.I.C. of India,
Central Office,
MUMBAI.

Respected Madam,

Re : Maternity leave for female employees opting for surrogacy.

With reference to the above subject, our organization invites your attention to the sensitive issue affecting very few families of LIC employees. Madam, you are already aware that due to technological progress in India, many couples who were deprived of joy of having child are taking the advantage of IVF (Test tube baby) and surrogacy. These techniques were introduced in India about 20 years ago and were available in only metros initially. The cost of these options was also very high. But due to spread of this technique throughout the country and very high demand, the cost came down within reach of middle-class families in general and LIC employees in particular. Due to physician's skill and by God's grace, the success rate of treatment is very high. It is needless to say, that employees are exercising it as a last resort, as the cost of experiment is very high as compared to natural phenomenon. This involves medical as well as legal expenses. In this regard we wish to point out that a progressive management like LIC has already responded to a changing scenario by providing adoption leave in staff regulation. Thus taking care of the adopted child has become easy for a mother. In view of this, we demand LIC management to make a provision for maternity leave for biological mothers (who is LIC employee) for 6 months and protect the birth right of nascent babies to get a good child care. This will set an example of a “Model Employer” in the industry also.

We also demand that the benefit of this provision should be extended to all female employees who have already opted this experiment.

Anticipating your positive action,

Yours faithfully,

(B.R. Hardikar),
NOIW, SECY.
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