Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 - Right to Payment of Maternity Benefits

4. Employment of or work by, women prohibited during certain periods.-(I) No employer shall knowingly employ a woman in any establishment during the six weeks immediately following the day of her delivery, ¹[miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy].

(2) No women shall work in any establishment during the six weeks immediately following the day of her delivery ²[miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy].

(3) Without prejudice to the provisions of section 6, no pregnant women shall, on a request being made by her in this behalf, be required by her employer to do during the period specified in sub-section (4) any work which is of an arduous nature or which involves long hours of standing, or which in anyway is likely to interfere with her pregnancy or the normal development of the foetus, or is likely to cause her miscarriage or otherwise to adversely affect her health.

(4) The period referred to in sub-section (3) shall be-
(a) the period of one month immediately preceding the period of six weeks, before the date of her expected delivery;

(b) any period during the said period of six weeks for which the pregnant woman does not avail of leave of absence under section 6.

5. Right to payment of maternity benefits.-³[(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, every woman shall be entitled to, and her employer shall be liable for, the payment of maternity benefit at the rate of the average daily wage for the period of her actual absence, that is to say, the period immediately preceding the day of her delivery, the actual day of her delivery and any period immediately following that day.]

Explanation.-For the purpose of this sub-section, the average daily wage means the average of the woman's wages payable to her for the days on which she has worked during the period of three calendar months immediately preceding the date from which she absents herself on account of maternity,  ³[the minimum rate of wage fixed or revised under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (11 of 1948) or ten rupees, whichever is the highest].

(2) No woman shall be entitled to Maternity benefit unless she has actually worked in an establishment of the employer from whom she claims maternity benefit, for a period of not less than ⁴[eighty days] in the twelve months immediately preceding the date of her expected delivery:

Provided that the qualifying period of ⁴[eighty days] aforesaid shall not apply to a woman who has immigrated into the State of Assam and was pregnant at the time of the immigration.

Explanation.-For the purpose of calculating under the sub-section the days on which a woman has actually worked in the establishment ³[the days for which she has been laid off or was on holidays declared under any law for the time being in force to be holidays with wages] during the period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of her expected delivery shall be taken into account.

³[(3) The maximum period for which any woman shall be entitled to maternity benefit shall be twelve weeks of which not more than six weeks shall precede the date of her ex delivery:]

Provided that where a woman dies during this period, the maternity benefit shall be payable only for the days up to and including the day of her death:

³[provided further that where a woman, having been delivered of a child, dies during her delivery or during the period immediately following the date of her delivery for which she is entitled for the maternity benefit, leaving behind in either case the child, the employer shall be liable for the maternity benefit for that entire period but if the child also dies during the said period, then, for the days up to and including the date of the death of the child.]

⁵[5A. Continuance of payment of maternity benefit in certain cases.-Every woman entitled to the payment of maternity benefit under this Act. shall, notwithstanding the application of the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 (34 of 1948), to the factory or other establishment in which she is employed, continue to be so entitled until she becomes qualified to claim maternity benefit under section 50 of that Act.]

⁶[5B. Payment of maternity benefit in certain cases.-Every woman-

(a) who is employed in a factory or other establishment to which the provisions of the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 (34 of 1948), apply;

(b) whose wages (excluding remuneration for over-time work) for a month exceed the amount specified in sub-clause (b ) of clause (9) of section 2 of that Act; and

(c) who fulfils the conditions specified in sub-section (2) of section 5, shall be entitled to the payment of maternity benefit under this Act.]

6. Notice of claim for maternity benefit and payment thereof.-(1) Any woman employed in an establishment and entitled to maternity benefit under the provisions of this Act may give notice in writing in such form as may be prescribed, to her employer, stating that her maternity benefit and any other amount to which she may be entitled under this Act may be paid to her or to such person as she may nominate in the notice and that she will not work in any establishment during the period for which she receives maternity benefit.

(2) In the case of a woman who is pregnant, such notice shall state the date from which she will be absent from work, not being a date earlier than six weeks from the date of her expected delivery.

(3) Any woman who has not given the notice when she was pregnant may give such notice as soon as possible after the delivery.

⁷[(4) On receipt of the notice, the employer shall permit such woman to absent herself from the establishment during the period for which she receives the maternity benefit.]

(5) The amount of maternity benefit for the period preceding the date of her expected delivery shall be paid in advance by the employer to the woman on production of such proof as may be prescribed that the woman is pregnant, and the amount due for the subsequent period shall be paid by the employer to the woman within forty-eight hours of production of such proof as may be prescribed that the woman has been delivered of a child.

(6) The failure to give notice under this section shall not disentitle a woman to maternity benefit or any other amount under this Act if she is otherwise entitled to such benefit or amount and in any such case an Inspector may either of his own motion or on an application made to him by the woman, order the payment of such benefit or amount within such period as may be specified in the order.

7. Payment of maternity benefit in case of death of a woman.-If a woman entitled to maternity benefit or any other amount under this Act, dies before receiving such maternity benefit or amount, or where the employer is liable for maternity benefit under the second

proviso to sub-section (3) of section 5, the employer shall pay such benefit or amount to the person nominated by the woman in the notice given under section 6 and in case there is no such nominee, to her legal representative.

8. Payment of medical bonus.-Every woman entitled to maternity benefit under this Act shall also be entitled to receive from her employer a medical bonus of ⁸[two hundred and fifty rupees], if no pre-natal confinement and post-natal care is provided for by the employer free of charge.