Flipkart is trying its best to retain women employees. Here’s how!

To keep more women employees across all levels, eCommerce company Flipkart has rolled out an unprecedented maternity benefits package to attract females, reported the Economic Times.

Flipkart, which is about to hire more women candidates, particularly in leadership roles, has announced that it will offer six-month paid leave along with four months of flexible working option with salary to mothers.

Moreover, the eCommerce firm will also offer an extended maternity leave up to one year of career break without pay, after which female employees can return to avail their jobs.

As per the new package, women will get a transport reimbursement benefit of Rs 600 per day during the last two months of pregnancy. They are also entitled to a reserved parking slot for 2 months before and after child delivery.

The online retailer is also working on a proposal to pay 50% of day care charges at high-standard facilities for children up to 4 years of age.

Such a maternity leave package is not common in India Inc, where most employers offer three months of paid statutory maternity leave.

"Flipkart needs to be able to attract more women talent," Deepali Tamhane, senior director, product management, Flipkart, told ET in an exclusive interaction.

"Big growth is happening in e-commerce in women's segment. In India we are at the cusp of that. The sooner the company gets prepared for that we will have a very strong position in keeping our leadership slot," she said.

Meanwhile, there are no women yet on the Flipkart board of directors, but the company is looking to add a significant percentage of women representatives on the board, a Flipkart official said.

According to a report released by Google, with Forrester Consulting, eCommerce market in India is likely to have a 100-million customer base, of which women will be the major contributors.

Few companies in India, mostly in the banking sector, offer such benefits. No company has put this all together into such an extensive maternity benefits package.

"An Indian company making sure that women talent are given the support they deserve during the most vulnerable period of childbirth and childcare is really one of its kind," said Saundarya Rajesh, founder and president at Avtar Career Creators & FLEXI Careers India, who works in the area of re-engaging second career women.

About 48% women executives under 30 years of age drop out of the workplace due to motherhood and related reasons, says Rajesh. The cost of replacing these women is higher compared to what can be achieved if they were retained.

(Image: Indiatimes)