Cisco which already allows its employees to take paid time off for 49 hours a year has made some changes in its policies regarding leaves. The new change now allows employees of Cisco India to take leaves from their sick leave quota to take care of their parents, a spouse or a child. This new altered policy gives the employees the freedom of taking time off so they can take care for their partners, children or for parents. 

Seema Nair, Director of HR , Cisco India and SAARC said that it was seen that employees ended up taking paid leaves if they had to stay back and care for a family member who was ill and this resulted in their sick leaves being unused. Under this revised policy, employees are now free to take leaves for such reasons out of their personal sick leaves quota.

The change in the policy also affects the maternity leave and the company has now doubled it to to 24 weeks and the employees joining work after the leave have the allowance to work flexibly. Surrogacy leave for 24 weeks has also been made available to employees who are exploring different of becoming parents. Company also aims at revising its paternity policy and is due to make an announcement soon.

Read more on The Economic Times here