Maternity Benefit Amendments - Everything You Need To Know
The proposed changes to the Maternity Benefit Act does a lot to bring India on par with international standards which provide 14 weeks of paid Maternity Benefit. However, some of the changes proposed could significantly increase costs for employers. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (the Amendment ) was recently passed by the Rajya Sabha to amend certain provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (the MB Act ). As number of women entering the workforce is increasing , there is a renewed focus on whether the benefits provided by existing legislation , such as the MB Act, encourage exclusivity . It has also often been highlighted that the 12 weeks of paid maternity leave provided for under the MB Act falls short of the international standard of 14 weeks as set by the International Labour Organisation. Given this, there has been a concerted push to amend the MB Act, with several ministries in the government coming up with pro...
