Through the new policy, all of Zomato’s employees spread throughout 24 countries are now eligible for universal paid parental leave, with a minimum of 26 weeks given to both men and women – a number that is equally applicable to non-birthing parents, including cases of surrogacy and adoption. In countries where the government-mandated leave policy is more than 26 weeks, Zomato will comply accordingly. In addition, the new parents will receive a USD 1,000 per child. AS for all the employees who welcomed a child six months prior to this policy change will also enjoy the new benefits.

This comes as no wonder considering that Zomato is a company that takes pride in being a champion of innovation, diversity and inclusion, not to mention the world’s leading restaurants, reviews and food delivery platform with over 1.4 million listed eateries to choose from. This positions Zomato among the very few companies in the world to offer such a unified parental policy. In addition, this new rule amendment is designed to further assist the company’s female staff who plan on reaching leadership roles. It will also help get men more involved in rearing their newborn(s), particularly in the early stages of a child’s development. The policy aims to create a more unified view towards primary caregiving, which henceforth will no longer alienate half of the company’s workforce.

Deepinder Goyal, Founder & CEO, Zomato

“I believe that people produce their best work when their personal and professional goals meaningfully intersect and align. I also believe that young parents should be able to make a choice on how to care for their children. However, the lack of universal paid parental leave currently makes it complicated for many parents to effectively lead a healthy family life and focus on their careers at the same time. It takes a village to raise a child. And while a village is ideal, a world where both parents are allowed to assume equal responsibility is a fair start,” said Deepinder Goyal, Zomato’s founder and CEO.

A company that has already adopted a number of ground-breaking policies, from the elimination of probationary periods for new employees to offering complimentary mental health support through an in-house psychiatry team, Zomato is increasingly becoming a role model for creating an exceptional work environment. It’s also an attitude that not only attracts the highest possible number of talented employees, but also helps to retain them. Zomato believes that its culture of meritocracy requires a level playing field when it comes to equality and that adopting such initiatives are an essential step in the right direction.

zomato.com