Labour Commissioner, Er. S. L. WatiAier has informed that in line with recommendations of the 44th, 45th& 46th Session of Indian Labour Conference (ILC) and demands from various quarters, the Government of India has amended the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 by way of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017. Vide this amendment; one important provision was enabling provision for permitting work from home for nursing mothers. Section 5(5) of the Act provides as follows:

“(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.”

In the context of prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, 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 over emphasized. Allowing nursing mothers to work from home can contribute to protecting them and their babies from getting infected. It is in this scenario that the enabling provision for allowing ‘work from home’ assumes significance and hence needs to be popularized amongst the woman workforce and the employers are advised to allow more and more nursing mothers to work from home wherever nature of work allows to do so. For nursing mothers at least for a period of one year from the date of birth of the child.

All employers of mines, plantations, shops & establishments (either in organized sector or unorganized sector) and factories are therefore, advised to comply with the above information.

                                                                                                (DIPR)