Maternity Leave in Startups: Is It Mandatory for Small Teams in Mumbai?

This question is in regard to the Maternity Leave policy. We are a startup based in Mumbai, under Maharashtra governance. Currently, we have 10-12 employees, with 8 being female. As an HR professional, am I entitled to frame the leave policy? Is it mandatory for startups to include maternity leave?

Looking forward to all the guidelines and help. Thanks!

Hi, yes, maternity leave is a statutory requirement, so you need to include it in the leave policy. For employees who are covered under ESI, they need to apply for maternity benefits through ESI.

Dear Smitha, Yes, applicable. V.M. Lakshminarayanan Sir is correct. Eligibility for Maternity Leave The eligibility for maternity leave is as follows: A woman must have been working as an employee in an establishment for a period of at least 80 days in the past 12 months.

Respected Sir/Colleagues, One of our employees is eligible for maternity benefits. I believe the maternity leave benefit is extended to 26 weeks. In this regard, can anyone share the updated Maternity Leave Policy in the state of Maharashtra?

Thanks in advance.

Regards, Anita Pereira
HR

Thank you very much, Mr. Lakshminarayan, for sharing the Maternity Benefit Act PDF.

Hi, I know maternity leave is 26 weeks. How is the maternity leave calculated? What are the things that are considered for maternity salary payment? Is full CTC included? Can someone share the calculation formula/steps for maternity salary?

Calculation of Maternity Leave and Salary
I know that maternity leave is typically 26 weeks long. I would like to understand how the maternity leave is calculated and what factors are considered for maternity salary payments. I am also curious if the full Cost to Company (CTC) is included in the salary calculation for maternity leave. Could someone please provide the calculation formula or steps for determining maternity salary?

Thank you.