In a move aimed at enhancing workplace policies for women, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced that female employees in its parent group will be entitled to one day of paid menstrual leave per month.

The policy is set to benefit approximately 5,000 women employees, who make up around 9% of the company’s 60,000-strong workforce, according to PTI.

The announcement was made by L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan during an International Women’s Day event at the company. While the decision has been confirmed, the implementation details are yet to be finalised by the relevant authorities.

Subrahmanyan, who previously made headlines for endorsing a 90-hour workweek, has faced criticism over his stance on workplace policies. 

The latest announcement sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many users on platform X (formerly Twitter) applauding it as progressive, while others viewed it as an attempt to counter backlash from his earlier remarks.

“L&T chairman giving one day menstrual leave after advocating for 90 hours work week is like eating salad at a junk food restaurant,” one user humorously wrote.

Other users called it a “welcome move” and urged other companies to follow suit.

“L&T Chairman has announced L&T Women employees (around 5,000) can avail One-Day Menstrual Leave per month. This needs to be appreciated as the one-day off makes a lot of difference to Women,” one user wrote.

Menstrual leave policies remain a topic of debate in India’s corporate sector. While companies like Zomato and Swiggy have introduced similar policies, such initiatives are far from the norm in traditional corporate spaces. L&T’s move could set a precedent for other large firms to consider implementing similar policies.