Understanding ESI Maternity Benefits: Can I Extend Leave Beyond the Company Policy?

Query on ESI Benefits for Women Employees

I have a query. I am working in a private firm and covered under the ESI bracket. Our employer is deducting both the employer and employee share from my salary.

Benefits Under the ESI Scheme

I would like to know the benefits under the ESI scheme for women employees, especially regarding maternity benefits. Our company has a policy of granting three months of leave for maternity.

Maternity Leave Query

Is it possible for an employee to avail leave from the company in addition to the three months approved by the ESI Medical Officer at the same time?

Looking forward to your information.

Regards,
averma

You cannot avail both leaves at a time. Usually, companies grant leave under the Maternity Benefit Act if the ESI Act is not applicable, and vice versa. ESI benefits are payable for 12 weeks (3 months), which can be further extended to 16 weeks, i.e., 1 month more on medical or sickness grounds. The eligibility criterion is that the woman must have worked for a minimum of 80 days in a 12-month period.

Have you gone through the ESI website? If not, check the following link for details. You can also contact your HR or ESI local office for detailed information on the required forms, etc.

http://www.esicdelhi.org.in/mtbenifits.php

Regards,
Vaishalee