Maternity Leave Eligibility for Small Companies: What Are the Rules for Less Than 20 Employees?

If the company has fewer than 20 employees, including a female, will the female employee be eligible for Maternity Leave Benefits? Reply requested.

Thanks,
S. Narasimhan

From where did you find that 20 employees are required in a company to avail Maternity Benefit as eligibility criteria? It is just a myth. There is no eligibility criteria for any company for Maternity Leave Benefits.

Maternity Benefit can be claimed even if there is a single lady employed by the establishment, so please go ahead and claim.

Please read Section 2 of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and correct your post. If the Maternity Benefit Act is not applicable, the ESI Act will apply if the company is in an implemented area, provided at least 10 employees are working.

Regards,
Varghese Mathew

The Act shall apply even if there is only one female employee, provided she has completed 80 days of work with the said organization.

Regards,
V. Murali