Sanofi India’s Goa plant: Women gain approval to work night shifts

From being the lone woman at French drugmaker Sanofi India’s Goa site to now heading a team with 47 women, Renee Amonkar has witnessed a change in her 25-plus years at the factory. And it’s poised to change again.

Come December, women will work the night shift at the facility, Amonkar told businessline, following the go-ahead they received recently. This makes them the first in Goa to receive the State government’s permission to allow women to work all shifts, including the 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift at the factory, company officials said.

“This approval from the Chief Inspector of Factories & Boilers, Government of Goa allows us to create a more diverse and equitable workforce and ensure that our women colleagues have equal opportunities to excel, said Amonkar, Site Director at Sanofi’s Goa (Pharmaceuticals) plant.

The facility has three shifts (8 a.m. -4 p.m., 4 p.m. – 12 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 8 a.m.), and was the first to get permission to have women working up to 10 p.m., she said. The site has 366 employees, including 47 women - with 14 in production and 24 in quality-linked jobs, company representatives added.

The latest approval will facilitate the recruitment of more women to improve the gender balance, said Amonkar, adding that the lion’s share of students graduating from pharmacy colleges, for example, were women.

The transition involves counselling and enhanced security measures, aligning with government requirements, to ensure the safety of female employees.

The transition to working later hours at a factory involves consent from those willing to do the shift and counselling to understand and address those who may have their reservations, she said. And while the company is undertaking this process, it is also readying other security features in line with Government requirements, she added.

There are clear guidelines on picking up and dropping back at the door-step and equipping transport with a security guard and GPS tracking system, for instance, said Shailendra Bidye, Sanofi India’s People and Culture Head, Goa sites (Pharmaceuticals).

The Goa facility is Sanofi’s only site in the country and makes formulations (finished drugs), including diabetes medicines and paracetamol, for instance. Earlier this year, Sanofi had decided to offer a VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) to all employees at two sites near Hyderabad as part of a global review of operations.

Several other States, including Karnataka, have also been amending their rules to allow women to work the night shift at factories.

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