What Is Paid Maternity Leave?
Maternity leave is a benefit given to working mothers so that they can take care of their newborns properly, during and after pregnancy. It also provides them with employee health insurance. The maternity benefit is fixed at a minimum duration of 12 weeks. The Maternity Benefit Act was passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016 and by the Lok Sabha in March 2017. After some revisions to the law, maternity leave was increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, and prenatal leave was extended from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. If a mother already has two or more children, the maternity and prenatal leaves remain the same.
The Maternity Benefit Act has a clause for adoption leave of 12 weeks for a woman who adopts a child under three months. The commissioning mother can take the leave from when a child is handed over to her for 12 weeks.
Under the clause, an employer has to inform a woman employee about her rights at the time of appointment in written format and via email. The leave is given for 180 days to female civil servants, but only for their first two liveborn children.
👉🏾 Some of the rights provided by law to pregnant women before March 2017 are listed below:
- Women are provided maternity leave for 84 days only.
- Out of these 84 days, 42 are for postnatal leave.
- In case of a miscarriage, a woman is given 42 days of maternity leave.
- If complications arise during pregnancy due to premature birth, medical termination, or any other reason, the woman can take one additional month of paid leave.
⚡️ Advantages Of Paid Maternity Leave
1. High Employee Retention
The more the employees are satisfied with their organisation, the higher the retention rate. Policies like paid parental leaves are impactful and encourage employees to return to work.
2. Attract And Retain New Talent
Attracting the top talent and retaining it is tough for all companies. Paid parental leave is a significant employee benefit and bonus that can retain such talent. In a competitive market, every benefit offered as a part of the employee value proposition matters. According to surveys, people prefer to work with employers who provide paid parental leaves.
3. Boost Employee Morale
Paid benefits boost employees’ morale. The opportunity to return to work after a long period of leave provides job satisfaction and job security to an organisation’s employees. It also provides peace of mind after knowing that they have parental leaves to look after their kids.
4. Increase Productivity
A company’s productivity is directly linked with employees’ job satisfaction. Some parental leaves for relaxation after the strain of pregnancy and delivery give more relief to the employees.
5. Improvement In Mental Health And Well-Being Of Children And Parents
Parental leave can also positively impact the mental health and well-being of children and their parents. It strengthens the bond in families. The newborns need not be separated from their parents if their parents get paid leaves, especially at a time when parental bonding and their presence are of utmost significance to the children.
6. Raising Public And Private Investment
Paid maternity leaves positively impact the general public, economy, and employees. This system helps reduce racial disparities in terms of wages for minority populations. There are many health benefits for new parents who want to take care of their children, such as improved maternal health, reduced hospitalisation rates, and many more.
7. Reduces The Spread Of Illness
After giving birth, a woman becomes weak and needs the best care. It is essential to cater to their health and give them proper rest. Maternity leaves provide adequate time to new mothers to restore their good health and reduce the chances of contracting illnesses.
Conclusion
Thus, to conclude, we can say that there are various advantages of paid maternity benefits, including lowering infant mortality, employee health insurance, increased maternal health, increased breastfeeding duration, etc. The advantages of paid maternity leaves resolve societal biases. These kinds of small acts have the potential to bring social justice to women and promote equality.
