Family comes first

We know how difficult things can be for young parents. And therefore at Star, we have redesigned our maternal and paternal leave policies to ensure every parent in the Star family spends enough time in taking care of his or her newborn.

No one who works at Star should feel their career would suffer if they have a child. So we studied the problems young working parents face and designed a parental policy that helps things go smoothly at this difficult time – at least on the professional front! Star’s Parental Leave Policy Program offers a very flexible 6 + 6 months maternity leave policy. A new mother takes the first 6 months off. For the next 6 months she can choose to work for only half a day or three days a week with full pay, or take the next 6 months off with 50% pay. New fathers get a full month of paternity leave, enhanced insurance coverage, 2 weeks in case of IVF procedure, and 24/7 counselling support. The objective of this program is to help our employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, but we benefit too – it means we get to retain our talented workforce.

It has also set an example in the industry. All over the world, companies are recognising the benefits of flexible parental leave policies, so we’re proud to be one of the first to move in this direction. Happy parents mean a healthy, content and motivated workforce that we can bank upon to serve our viewers better. Shilpi Dubey Pathak, from the Brand & Marketing Strategy team, has just returned from maternity leave. “The flexibility is what makes the 6+6 maternity policy unique,” she says. “After 6 months of maternity leave, I have opted to work for half a day for the next 6 months on full pay. The options and benefits allow me to spend quality time with my baby and help put my mind at ease – giving me the best of both worlds. My four hours at work are quite productive so I look forward to my time at office. Star is caring enough to go the extra mile, so I feel at home even at work.”