Hindustan Zinc Limited, India's largest and the world's second-largest zinc producer, has announced an inclusive and progressive people policy to provide financial support to transgender employees for their education. Recognising the barriers to their education, the company has announced financial support of up to Rs 1 lakh for professional education of transgender employees who have been with the company for atleast 18 months. The announcement came at the culmination of the company's Pride Month celebrations.
The policy is a one-time benefit applicable to transgender employees and extends to the business partners across all its operational locations. This is in line with Hindustan Zinc's commitment to constantly present avenues for professional development to its people, ensuring every individual can develop market-relevant skill sets.
The policy was launched on Hindustan Zinc's homegrown #Zinclusion platform at the conclusion of Pride Month celebrations. It featured a panel discussion on ‘Challenging Barriers, Fostering Inclusivity,' led by Chairperson Priya Agarwal Hebbar, CEO Arun Misra, and Zainab Patel, DEIB Leader at a heavy engineering conglomerate. The session also saw parents of transgender employees sharing their pride at seeing their children thrive at Hindustan Zinc. In a traditionally male-dominated metals and mining sector, Hindustan Zinc employs sixteen transgender employees across its business units, offering significant representation in mainstream roles like finance, supply chain, marketing, medical, and other departments.
Hindustan Zinc's robust Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) framework encompasses a comprehensive set of policies and programs designed to provide all employees rich job content and fostering a truly inclusive work environment. It incorporates a widespread suite of supportive workplace policies, such as gender reaffirmation leaves and compensation policy for employees considering gender reassignment surgery, parenthood policy for LGBTQIA+ individuals legally adopting a child, and housing policy for employees from the transgender community. These policies significantly bolster the company's extensive D&I efforts, making them one of the foremost in the country. Furthermore, the company is dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace by conducting sensitisation workshops for its employees as well as the wider community.
Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc and Director of Vedanta Limited, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, "At Vedanta, we are dedicated to cultivating a culture that celebrates diversity and ensures equal opportunities for all. It gives me immense joy to announce our financial support policy for higher education, which reflects our commitment to empowering our transgender employees. By investing in their professional growth, we aim to create an environment that is equal, and champions the well-being and personal development of each and every employee."
Sharing her experience, Ragini, a transgender professional working as a Lab Technician at the world's largest zinc-lead smelter at Chanderiya, Rajasthan, said, "I am grateful for this opportunity at Hindustan Zinc, where the team makes me feel like part of a big family, free of discrimination and biases. The upskilling and training provided to me here are tremendous, aiding both professional development and personal growth. Through these initiatives, Hindustan Zinc is helping bring the marginalised trans community into the mainstream and providing a supportive environment to nurture our full potential so we can live with dignity." Sharing his experience, Yashwardhan, another transgender professional working in the marketing department, said, "I am humbled by the support provided by my colleagues, who are helping me realise my true potential at every step. The workplace environment is extremely supportive, the work is exciting and plays a crucial role in enhancing my skillset."
Since 2022, the company has been expanding its recruitment efforts to actively include members of the transgender community, who face challenges in securing sustainable livelihoods for a life of dignity. With this initiative, the company aims to create a paradigm shift towards acceptance and inclusivity in the manufacturing industry, for multi-dimensional thinking and well-rounded decision-making. Hindustan Zinc aims to achieve 30 per cent diversity in the workforce by 2025 as per its Sustainable Development Goals and currently has a gender diversity ratio of almost 22 per cent in the executive workforce, amongst the highest in the world in the metals & mining sector.
