It was this kind of violation that a Delhi court denounced when it observed that granting maternity benefits to women employees is “not a matter of charity”. This verdict pertained to the case of a woman who had been sacked from her job in 2009 for extending her maternity leave on the grounds that she was not well enough to rejoin work. A trial court had convicted the employer last year; the compensation order was challenged in the Delhi court. Interestingly, according to the Maternity Benefit Act, in case of a post-delivery illness, a woman can claim paid leave for a period of one month in addition to the maternity leave period she is allowed. It is this humane, rights-based approach and the spirit of compassion that the court upheld in its ruling.

Source: The Telegraph October 20, 2019 20:36 UTC