Explain salient feature of maternity benefits act, 1961 with recent amendments.
Answers
The aim of Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 is to regulate the employment of women employees in factories, plantations, mines, shops, the circus industry and establishments having ten or more persons, for certain periods before and after childbirth and also to providematernity and other benefits.
• It provides for full paid absence from work for a period of 26 weeks (earlier 12 weeks) to take care of first 2 children.
• To be eligible for maternity benefit, a woman must have been working as an employee in the establishment for a period of at least 80 days in the past 12 months.
• For women who are expecting after having 2 children, the duration of paid maternity leave shall be 12 weeks.
• Maternity leave of 12 weeks also available to mothers adopting a child below the age of three months from the date of adoption as well as to the “commissioning mothers”.
• The Act makes it mandatory for employers to educate women about the maternity benefits available to them at the time of their appointment.
• The act is applicable to all those women employed in factories, mines and shops or commercial establishments employing 10 or more employees.
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@swigy