Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced an additional casual leave (CL) benefit for its female employees to support them during menstruation. Under the new policy, women employees are now entitled to an extra 12 days of casual leave per year (one day each month), on top of the 15 days they already receive annually.
According to the official notification, this additional leave will be granted to female employees up to the age of 55. Each monthly leave is non-transferable, meaning that if not used within the month, it will lapse and cannot be carried forward.
This new provision replaces the previous finance department memorandum issued in March 2024, which had granted an additional 10 days of CL beyond the regular 10 days of casual leave and 5 days of special casual leave.
The Odisha government’s decision reflects a growing recognition of the need for supportive workplace policies catering to the health and well-being of women employees, aiming to address physical discomfort associated with menstruation.