Presently 26 weeks of Maternity Leave is entitled to a lady employee (8 weeks prior to delivery and 18 weeks after that)

Based on the premise as mentioned in the query, can the lady avail lesser than 8 weeks of Maternity Leave prior to delivery and avail longer period (beyond 18 weeks) post delivery.

According to the clause, women employees are eligible to take 26 week maternity leave out of that 13 and 13 weeks can be take leave before and after the leave. if any thing changes in weeks, the salary wount be consider and for only 13 weeks pay can be calculated.

Dear New Nari,
May I seek your attention once again to Sec.5(3) of the MB Act,1961 which runs as follows?
"Sec.5(3)- The maximum period for which any woman shall be entitled to maternity benefit shall be 26 weeks of which not more than 8 weeks shall precede the date of delivery provided that the maximum period entitled to maternity benefit by a woman having 2 or more than 2 surviving children shall be 12 weeks of which not more than 6 weeks shall precede the date of expected delivery."
A careful analysis of the above provisions would indicate only that the prenatal leave shall not exceed 8 weeks in any case. If the pregnancy condition permits the woman to work as usual, she may opt to avail less than 8 weeks of leave before her expected date of delivery and add the balance to the post-delivery period. Therefore, the answer to your query can be a simple " YES" only in relation to prenatal and postnatal benefit.

(Shri Umakanthan M., Addl. Commissioner of Labour (Retd.)
Sir,
Thank you for a very clear and consice reply to my query. I highly apreciate and regard the same.
regards
New Nari

Dear Shri Umakanthan,
We are having establishment at Coimbatore, kindly provide the process flow for obtaining Shops Act Registration under Tamilnadu Shops Act.
Further need the P.Tax slab rate of Namakkal is a town and a municipality in Namakkal district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu & Madurantakam is a town and a municipality in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
A line in reply is appreciated.
Regards,