Navigating Maternity Leave: Can I Take Leave Right After Starting My New Job?

Dear All, I have been selected for a permanent job as an Assistant Professor at a central government medical college and have been requested to join after my medical test. My current situation is that I delivered a baby in the last week of April 2015. Currently, my baby is 6 weeks old, and I have successfully passed the medical test. My scheduled joining date is in July 2015, which is three months from now. I am considering going on loss of pay leave for three months immediately after joining.

Probation Period and Joining Details

a) The probation period for the permanent job, for which I am not currently working, commences in July 2015, three months from now. I have received confirmation of clearing the medical test last week and have an appointment order dated the last week of July 2015 - three weeks post maternity.

b) Please note that I have not yet joined, and my joining date is in July 2015, i.e., in three months.

Maternity Leave and Loss of Pay Leave Options

c) Is it possible for me to apply for maternity leave immediately after joining in the last week of July for three months, as soon as I start?

d) If applying for maternity leave immediately is not feasible, can I instead apply for loss of pay leave right after joining?

What are my options considering I have not yet joined and the probation period starts right after joining?

In essence, my query revolves around whether there is a distinction in treatment between those who deliver a baby after joining and those who deliver before joining.

Thank you.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Terms and conditions of employment and resultant benefits of service are available only after a person/candidate selected joins the government service. In my opinion, before joining, he/she has no rights as any government servant and thus cannot claim any benefits for the period prior to joining. However, you can confirm the position from the organization to which you are going to join.

Service Rules for Central Government Organizations

Since you are to join a central government organization/hospital, I suggest you ascertain which of the service rules are applicable. In case the Central Civil Services Rules are applicable, I hope you will study the same and accordingly get the reply to your questions as raised in the above thread. Swamy's Handbook For Central Government Staff is a good book in which the service conditions, etc., of central government staff have been mentioned in brief. The said Handbook is generally available in all leading law bookshops.

The knowledge of service rules is essential during service tenure so that employees may be able to work properly and in accordance with the said rules.

Regards