Section 45: Maternity leave

1) A pregnant female labourer shall get maternity leave for a total of fourteen weeks before or after delivery.

2) A pregnant labourer shall compulsorily take leave from at least two weeks before the expected date of delivery to at least six weeks after the date of delivery.

3) A female labour who takes the maternity leave referred to in sub-section (1) shall get full remuneration for sixty days and shall not get remuneration for the remaining period.

4) Where a recognised medical doctor recommends that the female labour who has delivered a baby needs further rest for her or her baby’s health, the employer shall approve unpaid leave of up to one month in addition to the period referred to in the sub-section (1) or sanction such leave to be adjusted with other leave, in continuity with the maternity leave.

5) Where a female labour in a state of seven months’ pregnancy or more than seven months gives birth to a deceased child or suffers miscarriage, she shall get leave as if she made normal delivery.

6) Where the mother dies before the completion of sixty days of the birth of her child, the labour whose wife has so died may take paid leave for the remaining period for the care of the child from the employer for whom he is working.

7) If a male labour’s wife is going to deliver a baby, he shall get paid maternity care leave for a period of fifteen days.