Breaking the gender stereotype, Deutsche Bank allows childcare leaves to men

Gender stereotypes have always been present in our society and companies are doing everything they can to break such stereotypes. One such step towards breaking a gender stereotype has been Deutsche Bank (DB). They have delinked parental leave from gender. From January 1, the bank will offer the same quantum of childcare leave - maternity leave of 6 months in India - to men as well, if they happen to be primary caregivers.

The new leave policy is being rolled out across Asia Pacific. An internal note circulated among DB employees in India, says:

"The new parental leave policy centres on the caregiver's responsibility, rather than tie parental leave to gender, and replaces what was previously called maternity/paternity leave. It also covers surrogacy and adoption and aligns it with parental leave entitlements. Deutsche Bank employees who are new parents can choose to either be the primary caregiver or the non-primary caregiver within the duration of the parental leave."

The main caregiver or the one who takes primary responsibility for care of his/her child during the bank's typical work hours is eligible for the leave.

The policy is expected to provide greater flexibility and choice for parents to take care for their newborn or adopted child alongside their careers.