Is It Legal for My Company to Offer Only Unpaid Maternity Leave? Seeking Clarity on Rights

Dear All,

The company in which I work is a manufacturing company registered under the Factories Act. Here, they provide unpaid maternity leave. Only the leaves that are entitled to the employee (PL, SL, CL) are given, and the rest are considered as leave without pay. Is this legally right? Doesn't the Maternity Benefits Act state that maternity leave should be 12 weeks of paid leave? Kindly resolve my query.

Regards,
Nandita

Hi Nandita,

As per the act, fully paid leave is granted for a maximum of 12 weeks on each occasion. An additional paid leave of up to 1 month is provided if the employee presents proof of illness due to pregnancy, delivery, or premature birth.

Regards,
Maithili

Hi Maithili,

Thank you for your reply. However, my management says that it's not compulsory to provide paid maternity leave. How can I convince them?

Regards,
Nandita