Bengaluru: India Inc is redesigning employee benefits to support them through major life transitions, recognising empathy as a key driver of staff retention, especially among the younger generation.
The likes of Optum India, Deutsche Bank, Titan Company, Acko, and Motilal Oswal Financial Services are offering benefits such as flexible work policies, expanded bereavement leave, and menstrual leave, mental wellness support, and supporting transition into retirement. This underscores a growing appreciation among several companies that employees need to manage family responsibilities alongside their work, and that such policies can support better retention and sustained productivity, executives told ET.
This January, healthcare firm Optum India, the global capability centre of UnitedHealth Group, rolled out a part-time work arrangement policy for employees navigating caregiving, health needs, or parenting transitions, intended as a temporary alternative to extended leave.
The policy allows eligible staff to temporarily work four hours per day for a defined period with 30 days of prior notice to managers, offering flexibility within a structured framework for a minimum of three months.
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Amit Vaish, head of human resources at Optum India, talks of structured flexibility.
“Many employees need structured flexibility during high-demand phases, not a binary choice between full-time work and stepping away,” said Vaish. “The policy creates a clear, time-bound, reduced-hours option that preserves career continuity while giving employees the time away from work that they need.”Bereavement, too, is recognised as a tough time. Deutsche Bank has expanded its paid bereavement leave from three to five days, following employee feedback. “This enhancement ensures employees have the time and space needed during a deeply personal period, reinforcing our commitment to empathy and well-being,” said Madhavi Lall, head-HR, Deutsche Bank Group India.
Others like Titan Company are supporting employees’ transition into retirement.
Titan is preparing a structured ‘Second Innings’ programme to support retiring employees and their partners through addressing the emotional dimensions of retirement, and reimagining identity and purpose beyond work.
“The intent is to go beyond financial preparedness – though that is a part of it – by creating safe spaces to discuss fears, encouraging employees to articulate aspirations for this next phase, alongside access to financial counselling,” said Priya Mathilakath, the company’s head of HR for retail, corporate and manufacturing.
Organisations in India are steadily broadening their benefits framework to better support employees through key life events such as parenthood, caregiving, illness, and bereavement. Over 80% of the more than 500 organisations from India in the WTW 2025 Benefits Trends survey said they are looking to significantly raise the level of flexibility and choice in their benefits programmes over the next one to two years.
“GCCs – particularly in the BFSI, pharma, and tech space – are increasingly using flexible benefits as a differentiator against both global peers and domestic employers,” said Vinod VK, head of health and benefits – India, WTW. “While hybrid and remote work options may be narrowing at a policy level, employers are still increasingly retaining flexibility for specific life-stage and personal circumstances, including childbirth and return-to-work phases, caregiving responsibilities, medical needs or recovery periods, and short-term personal exigencies.”
Work-life balance, too, is a key focus area.
Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) has rolled out a ‘switch-off’ policy which encourages employees to leave their workplace on time.
“With over 93% adherence to this policy, we ensure that we are supporting work-life balance,” said Niren Srivastava, group CHRO, MOFSL. The company also encourages employees to take 6-8 days of leave together under its ‘core leaves’ practice.
Insurtech startup Acko is looking to introduce a caregiver policy this year, after having reworked its leave policy over the past few months to include menstrual leave as part of a broader focus on physical and mental well-being.
“Today’s workplace spans multiple generations and life contexts, and what constitutes a critical life moment varies widely – from caregiving and health-related needs to everyday family responsibilities,” said Satheesh KV, chief people officer at Acko. “We’ve been focusing on making existing benefits easier to access, stigma-free, and manager-supported.”
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