The bill also provides 16 weeks leave for commissioning and adopting mothers and makes it mandatory to provide creche facility for establishment where the number of workers is 50 and above.
At present, the Maternity Benefit Act does not provide any maternity leave for commissioning or adopting mothers.
Also Read
Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to end on August 12, 2016. Labour Ministry wants to push this pro-worker amendment bill.
The Maternity Benefit Bill would be the second bill to be introduced by the Labour Ministry in Parliament after Employees Compensation Bill, which was introduced in Lok Sabha last week.
Besides, the Labour Ministry has also got Child Labour Bill passed from both the houses during the current session of Parliament. The bill was pending since December 2012.
"Since this bill is not controversial and is in the interest of women workers, the MPs will support it. Its passage in current session is possible," the source said.
While there is already a provision of 26-week or 6-month maternity leave for the government employees, most private sector firms offer maximum three months of such leave. Besides, these benefits are not provided at all in many smaller establishments.
The bill may also have an enabling provisions to allow working mothers to exercise work-from-home option. However, this enabling provision will not be mandatory.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories
Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app