#inclusiveworkplace

Proud moment for Hab Pharma! The company was honored with the Special Award for MSMEs at the Bombay Chamber DEI Awards 2025, recognizing its commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The event, hosted in Mumbai, brought together industry leaders to highlight initiatives that promote inclusive growth and equitable corporate cultures across India.

Such recognition reflects Hab Pharma’s dedication to building a responsible, inclusive, and forward-looking organization that values people, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Supporting women in the workplace is more than a moral responsibility. It is a practical way to build stronger teams, improve performance, and create a healthy work environment. When women feel valued and supported, both individuals and organisations benefit. This support helps women grow in their careers and strengthens the culture of the workplace.

The Key Benefits of Supporting Women at Work

1. Higher Productivity and Better Engagement

When women receive real support, they feel more connected to their work. Flexible schedules, wellbeing programs, and emotional support help them manage work and personal responsibilities. This leads to higher focus, better performance, and lower stress.

2. More Innovation Through Diversity

Gender diverse teams bring fresh ideas. Women contribute unique viewpoints that help teams think creatively. When companies support women, they unlock innovation and make smarter decisions.

3. Stronger Financial Performance

Workplaces that empower women often see improvement in business results. When women are given leadership opportunities and continuous development, the organisation benefits from better planning, stronger collaboration, and more stability.

4. Better Reputation and Talent Attraction

Companies known for supporting women attract skilled professionals. Women prefer workplaces that care about their growth and wellbeing. These builds trust and help organisations become employers of choice.

5. Lower Turnover and Long-Term Stability

Support programs such as mentorship, flexible work options, and skill development help women stay longer in their roles. Lower turnover reduces hiring costs and protects organisational knowledge.

Practical Ways to Support Women at Work

These actions create real change and align with the mission of We Support Women.

Offer Flexible Working Options

Flexible hours, part time roles, and remote options help women balance personal responsibilities. This support is especially important for women returning to work after a break.

Provide Mental and Emotional Support

Workplaces should offer counselling resources, peer support groups, or simple check ins. A supportive environment helps women feel safe and understood.

Encourage Skill Development and Mentorship

Training, workshops, and mentorship programs help women grow in their careers. When women have strong guidance, they gain confidence and access more leadership opportunities.

Focus on Health and Financial Wellness

Health programs and financial planning tools help women manage important life decisions. This support improves overall wellbeing and reduces stress.

Build a Safe and Respectful Workplace

Clear policies, confidential reporting channels, and zero tolerance for harassment create a safe work culture. Women can only succeed when they feel respected and protected.

Recognise Contributions

Celebrating achievements helps women feel valued. Highlighting success stories encourages others and strengthens team morale.

The Impact on Organisations

Supporting women is not only good for culture. It is good for business. Companies gain:

Increased loyalty and stronger retention

A wider and more skilled talent pool

A culture of creativity and innovation

A stronger and more trusted employer brand

A young woman, in her first week at work, walks in a little nervous — unsure if she’ll be accepted, if she’ll be safe, if she’ll be heard. But when she finds a workplace that’s built with her in mind — where facilities, policies, and people all support her growth — that nervousness turns into confidence.

And that confidence? It translates into lower absenteeism, better retention, higher productivity  and a stronger brand reputation for the company.

Designing shopfloor roles for women that are safe, compliant, and genuinely supportive isn’t just about meeting legal norms — it’s about building a workplace culture that works for everyone.

Because India’s legal framework already protects women’s safety, dignity, maternity needs, and fair work conditions — doing it right isn’t just the law, it’s smart business and the right thing to do.

Why this matters

When more women participate in factories and warehouses, businesses become more resilient and find it easier to build stable teams in roles that often face hiring gaps and high churn. Moreover, when employers invest in visible basics-like better facilities, safer processes, and clear, fair policies-workers quickly translate that trust into higher attendance and longer tenures across shifts.

Importantly, partners like Meraqui can turn these good intentions into on-ground execution with digital onboarding, accurate payroll, and compliance tracking across many states and cities in India.

Compliance Foundations

POSH Act, 2013: Mandatory Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for establishments with 10+ employees, regular training, policy publication, and timely case resolution. Penalties apply for non-compliance.

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017: 26 weeks of paid leave, coverage for adoptive and commissioning mothers, and compulsory crèche facilities for establishments employing 50+ workers.

Government clarifications further explain how to implement crèche provisions and timelines, which helps employers roll out consistent audits and support.

Night Shifts and Safety

While earlier laws restricted night work for women, many states now allow it under strict safeguards — written consent, secure transport, food availability, group deployment, and reinforced preventive measures.

Employers must ensure transport with GPS tracking, trained female security, and safe, well-lit premises. State-specific updates continue to expand such opportunities while strengthening safety norms.

Building Safe, Trusted Facilities

True trust begins with the essentials — clean, well-lit toilets, private changing spaces, reliable water and hygiene access. As teams grow, dedicated lactation rooms and nearby crèches become vital, especially for multi-shift operations.

Marked pathways, visible CCTV coverage, trained security personnel, and emergency protocols create a workplace where women feel confident and respected from entry to exit.

Ergonomic and Safe Job Design

Job safety starts with lawful, thoughtful design. Avoid hazardous processes, follow statutory weight limits, and install proper machine guards. Redesign repetitive or physically demanding tasks to reduce strain, and ensure clean shutdown procedures during maintenance.

Night-shift workplaces should include rest breaks and seating options — because comfort and safety go hand in hand with productivity.

PPE, uniforms, and comfort

Personal protective equipment and uniforms must be available in sizes that fit women properly so protection remains effective during material handling, chemical exposure, or dusty operations.

Because poor fit leads to workarounds and higher risk, supervisors should run short trials, invite feedback, and swap uncomfortable gear without delay. Treat these adjustments as part of routine safety audits so the team keeps learning and improving the standard kit over time.

Policies, training, and reporting

A clear POSH policy, a trained ICC, and regular awareness sessions for all shifts-including contractors and vendors-help teams understand rights, responsibilities, and respectful conduct. Multiple, confidential reporting channels with anti-retaliation guarantees increase the likelihood that issues will be raised early and resolved quickly.

Managers and floor leads should receive scenario-based training on day-to-day escalation, documentation, and state-specific night-shift rules so compliance lives in everyday practice.

Scheduling, transport, and attendance

Since predictability reduces stress, rosters should be shared in advance, last-minute changes minimized, and back-to-back shifts avoided to protect recovery time.

When women choose night work, written consent, safe point-to-point transport with GPS tracking, and periodic route reviews demonstrate care and compliance in action. Staggered breaks that keep group presence in both shopfloor and rest areas improve safety while keeping throughput steady.

Pay, benefits, and retention levers

Timely and accurate pay is a powerful trust signal, and pairing it with attendance-linked incentives and simple recognition programs lifts morale at relatively low cost. Moreover, maternity benefits, crèche access, and flexible return-to-work pathways reduce the chance of losing skilled operators in precision roles after childbirth.

Clear, transparent rules on overtime, leave, and shift swaps help reduce friction during peak logistics periods and keep absenteeism under control.

How Meraqui can help

Meraqui’s integrated platform streamlines every stage — from digital onboarding and background checks to payroll and statutory compliance (PF, ESIC, TDS, etc.) — ensuring accuracy and accountability across multi-location operations.

It transforms compliance from a burden to a business advantage, helping employers demonstrate care and competence in every detail, every shift.

The bottom line

When women feel secure, respected, and heard, they don’t just stay — they elevate performance and culture across the board. Embedding safety, dignity, and fairness into daily practice is the fastest route to stronger teams and a stronger brand.

And with Meraqui’s end-to-end workforce management, building that future becomes structured, compliant, and scalable — for organizations ready to lead responsibly and grow sustainably.

💡 Partner with Meraqui to build workplaces where women thrive and businesses grow stronger.

Build Inclusive Workplaces, Build Profits

The IMARC report on Diversity & Inclusion Training reveals how promoting workplace equality can also be a profitable venture. From setup costs to market trends, it’s your complete guide to launching a D&I training business that drives both impact and income.

Modern workplaces increasingly recognise that effective team collaboration extends beyond verbal communication. British Sign Language (BSL) techniques offer powerful tools for building more inclusive, connected teams whilst enhancing overall workplace communication dynamics.

Visual Communication Enhances Understanding

BSL emphasises visual clarity and intentional body language, skills that benefit all team interactions. When team members learn to use deliberate hand gestures, maintain proper eye contact, and position themselves for optimal visual communication, they create more engaging and effective meetings.

These techniques prove particularly valuable during presentations and brainstorming sessions. Visual reinforcement helps convey complex ideas more clearly, ensuring all team members grasp key concepts regardless of their learning preferences or hearing abilities.

Building Inclusive Team Environments

Teams incorporating BSL awareness develop stronger inclusive practices naturally. Members become more conscious of communication barriers and actively work to ensure everyone participates meaningfully in discussions and decision-making processes.

Many organisations discover that enrolling staff in a bsl training online course creates shared learning experiences that strengthen team bonds whilst developing valuable accessibility skills. These programmes teach practical techniques that improve collaboration immediately.

Enhanced Non-Verbal Communication Skills

BSL training sharpens awareness of facial expressions, spatial positioning, and gesture meaning. These enhanced non-verbal communication skills help team members read group dynamics more accurately and respond appropriately to colleagues' emotional states and engagement levels.

Teams with BSL-trained members often report improved conflict resolution abilities, as members become more skilled at recognising tension and addressing concerns before they escalate into major issues.

Practical Implementation Strategies

Start with simple BSL techniques during team meetings. Introduce basic signs for common concepts like agreement, questions, or break requests. These shared visual signals create more organised, inclusive discussions where deaf colleagues can participate fully.

Consider group learning through a bsl training online course that allows teams to develop skills together whilst building stronger collaborative relationships. Online formats offer flexibility for busy work schedules whilst ensuring comprehensive skill development.

Designate meeting spaces with good lighting and clear sightlines so all team members can see each other effectively. These environmental changes benefit everyone whilst demonstrating commitment to inclusive practices.

Long-Term Collaboration Benefits

Teams that embrace BSL techniques often experience improved creativity, enhanced problem-solving capabilities, and stronger interpersonal relationships. The visual-spatial nature of sign language encourages different thinking patterns that can spark innovative solutions.

Conclusion

By Suresh Kumar Prasad

In an industry that moves at lightning speed, taking a break can feel like falling off the edge. But at Vidushi Infotech SSP Pvt. Ltd., we believe that a pause in your career shouldn’t be the end of your journey in tech. In fact, it can be the beginning of something even better.

That’s the spirit behind our Return‑to‑Work Program—a structured, supportive initiative designed to help professionals (especially women, caregivers, and mid-career returnees) re-enter the tech workforce with confidence.

Let’s take a closer look at how we’re making comebacks not just possible, but powerful.

Why Returnships Matter

According to industry data, thousands of skilled professionals step away from their careers each year due to caregiving, health, relocation, or personal development. But when it’s time to come back, many face:

Gaps in technical fluency

Reduced confidence

Lack of updated tools/process knowledge

Hiring bias

Our program bridges that gap by offering an on-ramp back into the industry through real projects, mentorship, and learning.

Who Is It For?

We welcome candidates with experience in:

Software development

UI/UX design

QA and testing

Digital marketing

ERP/CRM systems

Project coordination

What matters most is attitude. We look for learners, not perfectionists. If you’ve taken a 6-month or 6-year break, you still have a place here.

How It Works

The program runs for 3 to 6 months and includes:

Skill refresh training (latest frameworks, tools, methodologies)

Pair programming or buddy projects

Mentorship from senior team members

Confidence-building workshops

Optional flexible or hybrid work models

Participants work on real client or internal projects—not sandbox exercises. And yes, it’s paid.

Outcomes That Matter

Nearly 80% of our returnship participants in the past two years were offered full-time roles within Vidushi Infotech. Others used the experience to launch freelance careers or join other top tech employers.

One of our proudest stories? A former Java developer who returned after an 8-year break—and now leads a team on an AI-powered ERP project. Her journey wasn’t “behind the curve.” It was just beginning.

Why Companies Should Care

Return-to-work isn’t charity—it’s strategy.

Organizations that embrace career returnees benefit from:

Broader talent pools

Higher loyalty and retention

Diverse perspectives

Stronger team empathy

In fact, several of our clients have adopted similar models after seeing the success of our internal program.

Our Broader Commitment to Inclusion

The returnship program is part of our larger Inclusion Charter at Vidushi Infotech, which includes:

Equal opportunity hiring

Unbiased performance evaluation

Wellness and upskilling programs

Recognition of diverse learning and working styles

As a nominee for the 2025 Go Global Awards, hosted by the International Trade Council in London, we’re proud to show the world that real innovation starts with people.

Because sometimes, the best comebacks happen when someone holds the door open.

A truly inclusive workplace does not stop at hiring more women. It looks deeper, into the systems and structures that impact how women are treated, how far they can go, and how secure they feel in their roles. Equal employment opportunity is not just a legal standard. It is a reflection of values, of fairness, and of what an organization truly believes about its people.

Creating equal opportunity for women means doing more than opening the door. It means making sure women can walk through that door, stay in the room, speak up, and lead.

A Foundation Built on Fairness

Equal employment opportunity starts with the basics. Every candidate, regardless of gender, should have access to the same roles, be evaluated by the same standards, and be offered the same pathways to grow.

Yet many women still face barriers disguised as processes. Unconscious bias in hiring decisions, role assignments based on outdated assumptions, and performance evaluations that reward visibility over value all play a role in holding women back.

Changing this requires an intentional approach. From how job descriptions are written to how leadership potential is assessed, fairness must be designed into every step.

Creating Equal Access to Opportunity

Equality is not about offering the same thing to everyone. It is about making sure everyone has a real shot. For women, this often means addressing the subtle systems that impact access such as who gets mentored, who gets invited to high-visibility projects, and whose career breaks are understood instead of judged.

Building true opportunity involves sponsorship, allyship, and clear pathways for development. It also means removing the pressure to constantly prove worth in environments where trust is not equally given.

Making Workplaces Safe and Inclusive

Equal opportunity also depends on safety. Women cannot truly thrive in environments where they feel unsafe, unseen, or unheard. That includes not just protection from discrimination or harassment, but the presence of a culture that values every voice.

This kind of culture is built through transparency, training, and a willingness to listen. It grows when organizations take every concern seriously and commit to action, not just statements.

Leadership That Reflects Diversity

Opportunities must lead somewhere. And that somewhere should include leadership. When leadership teams reflect the diversity of the workforce, it sends a powerful message not only about who is welcome, but about who is trusted to shape the future.