Navigating Maternity Leave Benefits: How to Ensure Our Employee Receives Her Entitlements?

Dear All,

Please confirm that one of our female workers has been on maternity leave from 01-08-2023 to date and has had a successful delivery. Please confirm the process to get her maternity leave benefits in cash/leave or any other. Form-18/discharge slips have already been signed by a doctor.

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

Regards, R.K. Chauhan

Dear All,

Please confirm that one of our female workers has been on maternity leave from 01-08-2023 to date and has had a successful delivery.

Kindly confirm the process to obtain her maternity leave benefits in the form of cash/leave or any other arrangements. Form-18/discharge slips have already been signed by a doctor.

I truly appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Regards, R.K. Chauhan

What is the issue?

Your employee was on maternity leave from August 23. Obviously, she will complete her leave in January 24. If you have not provided any prenatal or postnatal care, pay her Rs 3500 (one time) in addition to the salary that you pay each month.

Maternity leave details

One thing you have to ensure is that the maternity leave is for 26 weeks and the leave shall precede 8 weeks of childbirth. If you have proof of delivery, that is enough. The leave should be marked like any other leave so that the salary can be processed every month and sent to her bank account. That's all.

Sorry, whatever I have written pertains to the payment of maternity benefits by the employer to an employee who is NOT covered by ESI Schemes.

ESI Leave for Employees Under ESI Scheme

I presume that the Form 18 mentioned by R.K. Chauhan is the one issued by the Medical Officer of ESI and the employee is under ESI. In such cases, the employer can mark her absence as "ESI leave" until she returns to work. No salary shall be paid by the employer as salary will be paid by the ESI Corporation.

Therefore, please ensure that her name will appear in the muster rolls every month and it is marked as "ESI Leave" so that the system will take it as leave without pay and no salary would be processed.