More Leave for Women Govt Servants

Click here to tell your friends/colleagues about this FOR THE last one decade, private sector in the country has witnessed a rapid growth. In fact, some government firms have also been handed over to private companies due to financial reasons. Such growth in private sector has also increased more job opportunities in various fields. But, due to long working schedule, extra hours, less number of leaves, most of the people working in private firms are not satisfied with their jobs. On the other hand, in comparison to private sector, government employees enjoy much liberty in jobs. If they are not satisfied with some policies, then they floor their demand before the government as well. Most of the time their demands get approved by the government. Due to such differences in job nature, a virtual jealousy can be seen between the two sectors as well. The Central government has announced a new bonanza for women employees. Now the maternity leave for government women employees has been increased to six months and also announced paid leave for two years to take care of children. The new order, which came into force from September 1, 2008, has increased the maternity leave from the previous 135 days to 180 days, for each of their two children. Besides, women employees can take paid leave up to two years during their job for taking care of their two children. Termed as ‘child care leave’ the new rule became effective from September 1, 2008. As per the new rule, even if a woman has only one child, she can take leave for two years. A woman employee can take child care leave in any desired combination till her child attends the age of 18 years. The child care leave can also be taken in continuation of the six-month maternity break. That is a woman employee who has only one child can take paid leave for two-and-half years at a stretch. The women employee can avail child care leave for any of reason, such as sickness, rearing or to look after any of their needs like examination. Importantly, the two year leave will not affect the seniority of women employee and they will get it besides the maternity break. In addition to these leaves, the women employees will enjoy their share of regular leaves. After the approval of the Sixth Pay Commission, the Centre has gifted the women employees with another surprise package. The new rule from the government can be seen as a step to empower the women. In fact, it will make the government jobs more attractive both for women and men. Hopefully, the semi-government organisations will adopt the new women-friendly rule sooner or later. But at the same time, women in private sector are usually getting a maximum of 90 days as maternity break. For saving the leaves for child care, women employees often attend office till the last moment of their delivery. Hence, the government should also guide the private firms to increase the maternity leave for women employees. Because the need of a mother for a child does not change with the nature of jobs. How this Sixth Pay Commission change your take home salary and the taxes that you pay - read below 1.Full pension only after 20 years: You are entitled to full pension after completing 20 years of service. This offer is really attractive to those government employees who joined at an early age and now want to enter the private sector. Pension will act as a cushion after they give up the secure government job. The government has tried to attract young talent by incorporating this flexibility. 2.Gratuity limit enhanced: Gratuity cap has been raised to Rs 10.00 lakhs from the present Rs 3.5 lakhs – a cool jump of approximately 300 percent! Of course gratuity is a function of the service put in by the employee and the last salary drawn. But it will provide adequate relief to employees retiring in the near future in the context of the scorching inflation of over 12 percent ruling for sometime now. They can invest this lump sum in any bank and generate over 10 percent by way of interest. It is a double bonanza for those on the verge of becoming senior citizens. 3. Enhanced pension cap and floor limit: Government has raised the minimum pension of its employees from Rs 2,813/- to Rs 4,060/-. The upper ceiling has been raised to Rs 52,200/- from Rs 33,075/- at present. So the cap has been raised by a whopping 58 percent while the floor (minimum) has been raised by an impressive 44 percent. So employees in the higher salary bracket will benefit more when they retire. 4. Live long and enjoy more: A new and unique dimension has been added to the new pension scheme. If you remain healthy post-retirement and hence live longer, your pension will increase proportionately. So once you turn 80, your pension will rise by 20 percent; similarly if you turn 85, your pension will rise by 30 percent; each additional five years there from will entitle you to a rise of over 10 percent. 5. Arrears will not be taxed in the same year: Some confusion prevails with regard to computation of income tax in respect of arrears. Arrears would be released in two installments of 40 percent and 60 percent in two financial years, viz., 2008-09 and 2009-10. Earlier it was reported that even though the arrears would be released in two installments, the employee should reckon the arrears fully as income in financial year 2008-09. It spoiled the employees’ party since most of the first installment of arrears released would have been gobbled up by the taxman this year. But the Finance Minister has reportedly clarified that only the arrears released this year, viz., 40 percent will be taxed. 6. Benefits enhanced if employees dies while on duty: Ex gratia paid to the family of an employee killed in terrorist attacks or attacks by anti-social elements has been enhanced to Rs 10.00 lakhs. The family will be paid Rs 15.00 lakhs by way of ex-gratia if the employee dies fighting a war or battling militants or working at high altitudes characterized by hostile weather. Also Check Out: Sixth Pay commission Children Education Allowance Tuesday, 16 September, 2008 20 POINT OF CHARTER OF DEMANDS FOR 19th SEPTEMBER 2008 CONFEDERATION PROGRAMME NEW CHARTER OF DEMANDS FINALISED BASED ON SUGGESTIONS FROM AFFILIATES & C-O-Cs by the Confederation of CG Employees & Workers For 19.09.2008 Strike Declaration Day Programme ORGANISE STRONG DEMONSTRATIONS IN ALL OFFICES SEND TWO SAVINGRAMS TO FINANCE MINISTER ON BONUS AND TO SECRETARY [P] ON GDS & SDA FOR NE REGION & LADAKH Charter of demands 1. Grant Rs. 10000/= as minimum wage as per 15 ILC Norms. 2. Grant minimum fitment benefit of 2.625 times of pre-revised basic pay to bring about uniform rise in emoluments and raise grade pay to 50% of the maximum of the pre-revised scales in respect of PB 1,2 & 3 as has been done in the case of PB 4. 3. No abolition of Gr.D. Posts and functions. Lift ban on recruitment, fill up all vacant posts and scrap screening Committee. 4. Grant 10% of pay + Grade pay as minimum benefit on promotion or financial up gradation. 5. No outsourcing or contractorising of Govt. functions. 6. Fix the date of effect of all allowances as 1.1.2006. 7. No reduction in the commutation value and restoration of full pension after 12 years. 8. Grant statutory defined pension scheme to the employees recruited after 1.1.2004 and withdraw the PFRDA Bill from Parliament. 9. Compute the pension entitlement on the basis of notional pay as on 1.1.1996. 10. No performance related pay or bonus scheme. 11 Implement the Board of Arbitration Awards. 12. Remove the arbitrary 5% ceiling and 3 years condition on compassionate appointment and withdraw court cases and absorb all waitlisted RRR candidates. 13. Implement the revision of bonus ceiling @ 3500/- in the case of Govt. Employees: Remove adhoc bonus and replace it with the PLB and remove the 60 days ceiling. 14. Grant SDA to all employees in NE Region. 15. Revise the Transport and daily allowances as demanded by the staff side JCM National Council. 16. Remove the condition of 6 months for applying the uniform date of 1st July as increment dates. 17. ACP to be on hierarchical system obtaining in each department. 18. Retain and improve CGHS and make insurance scheme optional. 19. Implement flexitime working hours for women/disabled employees as recommended by the 6 CPC. 20. Direct all the Departmental Heads to settle 6th CPC related department specific demands/problems within a stipulated time. -- K.Ragavendran Secretary General NFPE Posted by NFPE at 11:03 PM 0 comments Links to this post PAY COMMISSION RELATED ISSUES TAKEN UP BY NFPE WITH THE CONFEDERATION NFPE HAS TAKEN UP CERTAIN ISSUES ARISING OUT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF 6th CPC CONFEDERATION WILL TAKE UP WITH THE GOVERNMENT NFPE LETTER TO CONFEDERATION IS REPRODUCED BELOW EXCEPT FIRST ISSUE ALL OTHER ISSUES WOULD BE TAKEN UP BY CONFEDERATION PF- 14(e)/2008 Dated 14th September 2008. To Com.K.K.N.Kutty Secretary General Confederation of CG Employees & Workers New Delhi. Com.S.K.Vyas Chariman Confederation of Central Government Employees New Delhi – 110001. Sub: Anomalies arising out of implementation of pay commission recommendations – reg. Dear Comrade, The following issues require attention from the Staff Side for taking up with the Official Side for redressal and improvement. 1. Computation of Revised DA Formula: While issuing orders for a revised DA Formula on accepting the recommendations of the 6th CPC, the Government ordered merger of 74% of DA as on 1.1.2006 with the basic pay by equating it with 536 Points in the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers [AICPI-IW]. This is wrong and only 533.01 Points should have been taken for merging 74% of DA. This wrong calculation of merger of 536 Points instead of 533.01 Points, the DA entitlement is only 12.94 instead of 13.53 and therefore after rounding off the figures the Government has sanctioned only 12% DA w.e.f. 1.1.2008. Actually it should have been 13% even after rounding off 13.53. Therefore on 1.7.2008 it should have been 17% instead of 16% granted. This is going to cause perennial loss to all the employees and a huge saving for the Government. This distorted calculation is to be challenged by the Staff Side and corrected accordingly. 2. Annual Increment: It is observed that the Hindi and English version of Gazette Notification differ on the matter of Annual Increment. Hindi version says increments are to be granted on either 1st January or 1st July. The English version simply accepts the recommendation of Pay Commission for grant of increment uniformly for all on 1st July. It was expected that the corrigendum would be forthcoming but nothing came about till now. This may be taken up with the official side. 3. Grant of SDA to all employees in NE Region: The Government Orders on SDA is still leaving room for confusion and various interpretations. Though the 'including initial appointment' is added in the order after discussion with the Staff Side, the definition of 'Area' is open for different interpretations yet and therefore the situation is not clear for payment of SDA to all employees in the NE Region. This requires to be taken up once again with the Official Side. 4. Heavy loss for Retired Group D employees: The implementation of recommendations of pay commission to fix the pay of the non-matriculate Group D employees only in 1S Pay Scale with 1300/= Grade Pay until they are retrained and fitted in 1800/= Grade Pay in PB-1 may benefit the serving Group D only. Those non-matriculate Group D who are already retired after 1.1.2006 and before 31st August 2008 and also before the completing of the training programme yet to be worked out by respective departments will stand to lose very heavily including very much reduced pension. An exception to such cases to the effect that those who are already retired may be considered as trained or exempted from such training to facilitate fixing them in PB-1 with Grade Pay of 1800/= shall be taken up with the Official Side immediately to avoid heavy loss to such employees. 5. Matriculate Temporary Status Casual Labourers: The DOPT has issued orders for fixation in 1-S Pay Scale with 1300/= Grade Pay for all Temporary Status Casual Labourers. This is against the existing order of the Government that all Temporary Status Casual Labourers will be placed on par at the minimum of the Group D because there are many matriculate passed Temporary Status Casual Labourers who are now fitted in 1-S Scale of Pay instead of PB-1 with 1800/= Grade Pay. This may be taken up for improvement. 6. Disparity between existing and direct recruits: The Entry Pay in the revised pay structure for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 is placed at a higher quantum in many cases. While we welcome any higher fixation for the direct recruits in any cadre, we feel that this should not create a condition wherein the senior employees in the same cadre are placed at a lower level of pay than the junior direct recruits. This anomaly has to set right in an appropriate manner. These issues may kindly be taken up with the Government. With Regards Comradely Yours, Sd/= [K.Ragavendran] Secretary General CONFEDERATION REACTION The above issues were discussed with the Confederation leaders in an informal meeting of the Secretariat of Confederation. The Item Number 2 to 6 would be taken up either directly or as anomalies with the Official Side by the Confederation. With regards to Item Number 1, the following situation emerged out of deep discussion and calculations of the DA 2001 base year conversion formula and further computation of 12 monthly average of Cost of living Index: As on 1.1.2006 the actual figures of DA was 74.79 We were drawing the round figure of 74% DA. This 74.79 was converted into 2001 year base by Government. The figure arrived at is 115.76. Govt. rounded it to 115 and then calculated to arrive at the DA figures of 0% on 1.1.2006; 2% on 1.7.2006; 5% on 1.1.2007; 9% on 1.7.2006; 12% on 1.1.2008; and 16% on 1.7.2008. Staff Side pointed out and objected to the rounding off of the fraction 0.79 out of 74.79 while conversion to 2001 base year. Government corrected its position and not rounded it off and then recalculated to arrive at 0% on 1.1.2006; 2% on 1.7.2006; 6% on 1.1.2007; 9% on 1.7.2007; 12% on 1.1.2008; and 16% on 1.7.2008. We checked the correctness of the Govt calculation and contrary to our earlier perception the recalculated figures of Govt are found to be accurate. No rounding off was made and usual carried forward of fraction continue to be done. The two mistakes were 5% instead of 6% on 1.1.2007; and 8% instead of 9% on 1.7.2007 due to rounding off while conversion which was later corrected by the Government. Therefore the DA conversion factor to 2001 base year is found to be correctly done by Government. We have no case in DA new base year 2001. All other anomalies pointed out under Item Number 2 to 6 by NFPE as above will be taken up with the Government by the Confederation. -- K.Ragavendran Secretary General NFPE Posted by NFPE at 10:35 PM 0 comments Links to this post GDS COMMITTEE ONLY NEXT MONTH - MORE ISSUES HANDLED BY NFPE ON PAY COMMISSION NATARAJA MURTHI COMMITTEE REPORT ONLY NEXT MONTH SUBMISSION NOT LIKELY DURING SEPTEMBER Dear Comrades - We were given the indication by an officer before the commencement of the formal meeting with the Member [P] today that the submission of Report by Nataraja Murthi GDS Committee will be only next month. Therefore once again our comrades are requested to powerfully organise the demonstrations on 19th September 2008 demanding submission of Report without further delay. Do not forget to send SAVINGRAM to Secretary Department of Posts on that day. FIXATION OF HIGHER GRADE PAY TO TBOP/BCR POSTMEN It has been raised in the formal meeting today with the Member [P] that the corresponding higher Grade Pay to TBOP/BCR Postmen / Mailguard should be instructed to be paid by the Directorate, consequent on upgradation of Postmen / MG entry Pay Scales to 2000 Grade Pay level. The Department has taken a position that the same will be done only on the Staff Side giving in writing as to whether we want ACP Scheme or the existing scheme and on our giving such a letter the clarification would be expedited. We can give letter only after our 22nd Federal Executive Meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. In the meanwhile we come to know that circles like Kerala where the pay fixation software supplied by the Mysore PTC is used the pay fixation to TBOP/BCR Postmen and all others faced no problem of any kind. The letter we have given to department is reproduced below at the end of this news bulletin. SDA FOR NE REGION (INCLUDING SIKKIM) AND LADAKH NFPE has given the following letter to the Secretary Department of Posts today demanding clarification on payment of SDA to NE Region (including Sikkim) and Ladakh requesting the Secretary to cause to issue instructions for payment to all. We are watching other Government Departments also for the stand being taken there. The letter is reproduced below at the end of this news bulltein. PARA MEDICAL STAFF OF POSTAL DISPENSARIES We raised in todays meeting and after that the letter of NFPE given to Secretary [P] with regard to the common category of para medical staff. The letter is reproduced at the end below. TECHNICAL POSTAL ASSISTANT IN MMS The issie of Diploma holding Technical Postal Assistant given a lower pay in MMS was pointed out in the meeting today. The Official Side pointed out that this cadre had been declared as a dying cadre and decided for merger with the PA/SA cadre. However we have stated that even then their diploma qualification should be taken into account and higher pay should be granted to them. A letter given by NFPE to Secretary [P] at the end of today's meeting in this issue is reproduced below. MERGER OF POSTAL DISPENSARIES WITH CGHS As per the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission, NFPE has today written to the Secretary Department of Posts to take initiative for merging the Postal Dispensaries with the CGHS and permiting postal pensioners to take treatment there. The letter written is reproduced below. RRR / GDS PAID SUBSTITUTES / PART TIME CASUAL NFPE has already taken up the issue of calculation of pay as per the revised pay structure of corresponding cadres for RRR Candidates, Paid Substitutes and Part time casual etc. The letters addressed to Member [P] on this matter are reproduced below. COPY OF LETTERS WRITTEN BY NFPE TO DEPARTMENT OF POSTS 1. ON PAID SUBSTITUTES PF- 50 (d) /2008 Dated 9th September 2008 To Ms. Madhu Narayanan Member [P] Department of Posts Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 Sub: Re-fixation of wages of Paid Substitutes in tune with 6th CPC revised pay and allowances – reg. Madam. The Government orders on implementation of revised pay on 6th CPC recommendations have been issued. Therefore the wages being paid to Paid Substitutes engaged in leave vacancies of Postman and Group D also require to be suitable revised. This Federation would like to bring to your notice that while such re-fixation of wages for Paid Substitutes was ordered after the implementation of 5th CPC in 1997, the components of HRA / CCA were taken out of the computation in contravention of P&T Finance orders in existence at that time. Despite best efforts by the staff side the issue was not settled. But on the judgment of Honourable High Court of Madras the Directorate has ordered payment of wages for those paid substitutes who went to the court on the basis of correct computation of wages including elements of HRA/CCA. However the same is not extended to all similarly placed paid substitutes in other places. Therefore this Federation would like to request that the following action may kindly be caused: Re-fixation of wages for Paid Substitutes on the basis of the revised 6th CPC pay; and Computation of refixation including components of HRA / Transport Allowance in tune with the spirit of the Honourable Madras High Court Orders. This Federation would highly appreciate an early action and a reply. 2. ON TBOP - BCR POSTMEN / MAILGUARD PF- 14/2008 Dated 9th September 2008 To Ms. Madhu Narayanan Member [P] Department of Posts Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 Sub: Request for issue of instructions on revised pay for certain cadres like TBOP/BCR Postmen, DSV, Matriculate TBOP/BCR Group D etc – reg. Madam, This Federation requests your personal intervention for the issue of instructions on the matter of revision of pay for the following categories of employees to avoid confusion and denial of proper fixation in the revised pay structure: The TBOP and BCR Postmen: Since the Postmen are awarded with upgraded pay scale of 3200-4900, the Postmen in TBOP and BCR level also are to be upgraded to next levels accordingly as otherwise many DDOs are likely to fix wrongly the Postmen, TBOP Postmen and BCR Postmen under the same Grade Pay level. The Departmental Stamp Vendors [DSV] who are of Postmen cadre also are to be fixed in 3200-4900 upgraded scale for which clear instructions from Directorate is necessary. This is requested from our past experience of V CPC when the DSVs were denied fixation on par with Postmen just because there was no mention in the first orders of the Directorate. Later on this was set right by subsequent orders only. This confusion is likely to occur this time also. The Group D scales are to be upgraded immediately for Matriculates. Their TBOP and BCR level of pay also needs to be upgraded from the present levels. Clear instructions in this regard is urgently needed as otherwise all Group D [both matriculate and non-matriculate] are likely to be fixed only in 1S Scale with 1300/- Grade Pay instead of PB-1 with Grade Pay 1800/= and with corresponding higher levels for TBOP/BCR. 3.ON PART TIME CONTINGENT PF- 50 (d) /2008 Dated 9th September 2008 To Ms. Madhu Narayanan Member [P] Department of Posts Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 Sub: Re-fixation of remuneration of Part-time and contingent paid staff in tune with 6th CPC revised pay – reg. Madam. The remuneration payable to Part-time, contingent paid staff are linked with the minimum pay of the group D employees and consequent on the implementation of 6th CPC pay scale, the remuneration for the above require to be revisited and improved accordingly. This Federation would therefore urge upon you to cause to issue necessary instructions to re-fix suitably the remuneration payable to these sections as early as possible. 4.ON RRR CANDIDATES PF- 50 (d) /2008 Dated 15th September 2008 To Ms. Madhu Narayanan Member [P] Department of Posts Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 Sub: Re-fixation of wages of RRR Candidates and payment of arrears in tune with 6th CPC revised pay and allowances – reg. Madam. This Federation would like to seek your personal intervention in causing fixation of pay payable to RRR Candidates in tune with the implementation of revised pay structure for the respective regular employees. There are more than 600 RRR Candidates in Tamilnadu Circle who are working against PA/SA, Postmen / Mailguard and Group D vacancies for the past more than 10 years on the basis of the daily wages calculated at the minimum level of respective cadre. Now the pay of these regular employees has been fixed in the 6th CPC Revised Pay Structure w.e.f. 1.1.2006. Therefore these RRR Candidates are also eligible for revised fixation at the minimum level of respective cadre since 1.1.2006 and accordingly eligible for payment of arrears also. This Federation requests that suitable Directorate instruction in this matter may kindly be caused to be issued at the earliest. This Federation would highly appreciate for your favourable action and a line in reply. 5.MERGER OF POSTAL DISPENSARIES WITH CGHS PF-14/2008 Dated 16th September 2008 To The Secretary [P] Department of Posts Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 Sub: Merger of Postal Dispensaries with CGHS – Implementation of 6th CPC Recommendations – reg. Ref: 6th CPC Report Para No.7.6.16 under Department of Posts. Sir, Kindly refer to the above recommendations of the 6th CPC wherein it has been recommended to merge the Postal Dispensaries with that of the CGHS with a comment that there is a strong merit in the proposal made by the Department of Posts in this matter to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The 6th CPC has recommended that all the Dispensaries presently being run by the Department of Posts should immediately be merged with CGHS and all postal employees be covered under the CGHS Scheme, wherever available. It has also recommended that this facility should be extended to the retired postal employees. This Federation therefore requests you to cause to take necessary urgent steps to get the above recommendations implemented at the earliest as such a step would help very much to get better medical treatment for the Postal Employees and Postal Pensioners in such places. We will highly appreciate for favourable action and a line in reply into the nature of action taken in this matter. 6.PARA MEDICAL STAFF PF-14/2008 Dated 16th September 2008 To The Secretary [P] Department of Posts Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 Sub: Para Medical Staff of Postal Dispensaries – Implementation of recommendations of 6th CPC – reg. Sir, This Federation notes that certain staff like Staff Nurse have been ordered higher replacement pay scales of PB-2 with 4600/= Grade Pay in the Revised Pay Rules, 2008. There are some other Para Medical Staff for whom the recommendation is to be fixed in the corresponding Pay Scales and Grade Pay. The cadres Medical Store Keepers and Laboratory Technicians have been referred in Para 7.6.10 under the Department of Posts Chapter that the Commission has considered these categories in Chapter 3.8. The recommendations made therein shall be extended to these categories as well. This Federation requests for clear instructions on pay fixation for these common category of Para Medical Staff under the Department of Posts. A line in reply into the nature of action will receive our high appreciation. News GalleryNew Delhi, Sep 16: Government women employees now have reasons to celebrate as they can avail six months of maternity leave. The Centre has not only increased maternity leave but has also cleared paid leave for two years to take care of children. The order has come into effect from Monday, Sep 1, 2008. The increased maternity leave of women employees has been increased from 135 days to 180 days for each of their two children. From now on, women employees can take paid leave up to two years (730 days) during their career for 'taking care' of their two children without affecting their seniority. Even if a woman has only one child, she can take the two-year leave. Termed as 'child care leave', this will be besides the maternity break they are entitled to. A woman employee can also avail of child care leave in any combination till her two children are 18 years of age. In line with the Sixth Pay Commission proposals, the new leave regime for women means that during their stint with the government, they can avail paid leave of as much as three years, provided they do it only for two children. Ads by Google Maternity Leave Join discussions & find answers at iVillage - the Internet for Women. www.ivillage.com Earn Rs. 1000/- Everyday Turn Your PC Into A Cash Generating Machine. Work Online From Home! www.gCash.in Jobs in HCL BPO Top Call Centers are Hiring. Register Your Resume Today! TimesJobs.com How To Get Pregnant Fast I Stopped this big mistake and finally got Pregnant. Here's how. www.TipsGettingPregnant.com Reliance HealthWise Plan A Single Health Policy Covering the Whole Family. Apply for One Now! RelianceHealthPolicy.com Infosys hiring Freshers. Most of the MNC's require no Prior Exp. Submit your Resume Free Now! MonsterIndia.com/Infosys-Jobs Environmental Jobs Complete resource for green and sustainable jobs greenbiz.com/environmental-jobs Democracy and the World About rule of law, participation & dissent, in civil societies www.america.gov Employee Motivation Online books, journals for academic research, plus bibliography tools. www.Questia.com/Employee_Motivation The child care leave can be taken for any of reason, including 'rearing' or 'to look after any of their needs like examination, sickness etc'. Women in the private sector are often hard-pressed for such leave beyond the maternity break (rarely beyond 90 days), besides the regular quota of earned, casual and medical leaves. "The new rule has come as a godsend. I can now devote time to my son when he needs it the most. The best part is I can take this leave till he is 18," said a director-level IAS officer. Contrast it with what a senior corporate executive said, "I attended office up to two days before my child was born. I had to save as much of my 90-day maternity leave so that I could devote time to my child later. The entire period is over now and I am back to work. I now leave my baby at my mother's house and come to office." The government has notified that child care leave can also be availed in continuation of the six-month maternity break. It means that a woman employee deciding to have only one child can continue on paid leave for two-and-a-half years at a stretch. Of course, she has the option of saving some of it for exigencies and, above all, she continues to enjoy her share of the regular leaves. The new regime will definitely make government jobs much more attractive not only for women but also for men as the couple would be assured that at least the mother would be with the child when needed. Semi-government establishments like PSUs, banks, insurance companies should be expected to adopt the new women-friendly system sooner or later.