Good news for women employees! Rajya Sabha passes Bill to raise maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the amendments made to the Maternity Benefits Act, that aims to raise maternity leave for women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.

The Bill on paid maternity leave may add some cost to employers, but it will motivate women employees to work harder and boost their participation in workforce.

Yesterday, the Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to the amendments made to the Maternity Benefits Act

The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her of a full paid absence from work, to take care for her child.

It is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons and the amendments will help around 1.8 million women workforce in the organised sector.

The amendments include increasing maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and 12 weeks for more than two children, 12 weeks maternity leave to a 'Commissioning mother' and 'Adopting mother' and mandatory provision of creche in respect of establishment having 50 or more employees, an official statement had said.

With PTI Inputs