Kerala will become the first State in the country to bring private education sector within the ambit of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2019, with the Centre giving approval to the State government’s decision to extend maternity benefits under the Act to all employees, including teachers, in private and unaided education sector in the State.
The decision to seek Centre’s approval for the same had been taken at the Cabinet meet held on August 29.
At present, the maternity leave and other benefits which are available to employees in the government sector are denied to employees in private sector. It was the State government’s conscious decision to seek the benefits of the Act for the thousands of women working in the private education sector in Kerala.
Once the new decision becomes the law of the land, women employees in the private education sector in the State can avail themelves of six months’ or 26 weeks of maternity leave with salary, as stipulated under the Act. The employer will also provide ₹1,000 towards medical expenses.