ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday passed the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2018, which makes it mandatory for employers to grant 6-month paid maternity leave and 3-month paid paternity leave. “The employees of every establishment shall be provided six-months paid maternity and three-months paternity leave as and when applied by employees, separately from their leave account, commencing from the date as applied by the applicant in the application and supported by a medical certificate,” reads the bill. Besides, the bill also provides for additional three-month maternity leave and one-month paternity leave, both of which would be unpaid. Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, while opposing the bill, said that there was already a law to give 90-day maternity leave to female employees, while male government employees could avail 48-day leaves in a year. Azhar suggested lowering the number of paternity leaves to 15 days, adding that nowhere in the world was there a provision for these many paternity leaves.

Source: Pakistan Today January 27, 2020 13:41 UTC