Reacting amid some organizations opposing the mandatory menstrual leave policy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said it was a government policy.
Last month, the state Department of Labor issued an order mandating one day of paid menstrual leave per month for all women ages 18-52 — working in permanent, contract and freelance jobs.
According to the order, female employees must take menstrual leave this month and cannot “carry it over” to the next month.
However, the Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA) has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the state government’s directive.
When asked about some organizations opposing compulsory leave, Shivakumar said, “It’s a government policy. We have to do equality; I don’t think we should discriminate between men and women.”
In the petition, the BHA questions the very basis of the order.
The BHA petition argued that leave policy fell within the internal administrative domain of individual organizations.
She further termed the order as “discriminatory” and pointed out that the state, despite being one of the largest employers of women, had not introduced a similar provision for its own workforce, PTI reported.
The petition is expected to be taken up before a court headed by Justice Jyoti Moolimani soon.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has extended paid menstrual leave to government sector employees as well.
It covers women workers in all industries and establishments registered under the Factories Act, 1948; Karnataka Shops and Business Establishments Act, 1961; The Plantation Laborers Act, 1951; Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966; and the Motor Transport Workers Act of 1961, he said.
The authority competent to grant casual leave may grant menstrual leave and no medical certificate is required for availing such leave, the order said.
This leave should be entered separately in the leave/attendance book and menstrual leave should not be combined with other leave, he added.
