Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has introduced a one-day menstrual leave per month for its women employees in the engineering and construction sectors. This policy, announced by Chairman and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan during Women’s Day celebrations at the company’s Powai office in Mumbai, is a first in the industry and is expected to benefit around 5,000 women employees, who constitute 9% of L&T’s 60,000-strong workforce.
The policy excludes L&T’s financial and technology subsidiaries, which already offer work-from-home and flexible arrangements. Details regarding its implementation, such as whether it will be an additional paid leave or part of existing entitlements, remain unclear.
India lacks national legislation mandating menstrual leave, but some states and companies have introduced similar policies. Odisha became the first state in August 2024 to implement a one-day menstrual leave policy for both government and private-sector employees. Karnataka is considering a bill proposing six days of paid menstrual leave annually and free access to menstrual health products.
Several private organisations, including Zomato and Swiggy, have also implemented menstrual leave policies. Zomato, for instance, has offered ten days of paid period leave per year since 2020.
According to a report by Naukri titled ‘The Unfiltered Truth: What Women Professionals Really Want,’ 34% of women rank menstrual leave as the top workplace policy they seek, surpassing concerns over equal pay.
