The employers may be advised to allow work from home, wherever nature of work so allows – Centre issued advisories to States and UT’s under Section 5 of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
The Central Government has urged all the States and Union Territories to issue advisories to employers to allow nursing mothers to work from home for at least a year from the date of birth of the child as nursing mothers are more vulnerable to the Covid virus.
The notification issued by the Central Government stated that the nursing mothers are a highly vulnerable lot and the need to protect this segment of the population from getting infected by the corona virus cannot be overemphasised.
The Central Government has invoked Section 5(5) of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 which entails that -
5) In case where the nature of work assigned to a woman is of such nature that She may work From home, the employer may allow her to do so after availing of the maternity benefit for such period and on such conditions as the employer and the woman may mutually agree. '
The Notification further stated that the enabling provision for allowing Work from Home' assumes significance and hence needs to be popularised amongst the women workforce and the employers and employers need to be encouraged to allow more and more nursing mothers to work from home wherever ACT nature of work allows to do so.
The Central Government requested to the State Governments that State Governments are the appropriate Governments for implementation of the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 , and they may take steps to create awareness about Section 5 of the Act amongst the women workforce and the employers.
Picture Source :
