Maternity Benefits Must Extend to Contract Workers, Rules Supreme
- ByAdmin --
- 09 Apr 2025 --
- 0 Comments
She was seven months pregnant when her contract ended—and just like that, she lost her salary, job, and maternity leave.
It wasn’t personal. It was the system.
But thanks to a 2025 judgment by the Supreme Court, women on contractual, daily wage, and temporary rolesnow have equal rights to maternity benefits under the law.
The Case
A teacher working in a government-aided school was refused maternity leave, as she was on a 10-month contract. The school cited the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, but claimed it didn’t apply to her “temporary” status.
What the Supreme Court Said
• The Maternity Benefit Act applies to all women, irrespective of the nature of employment
• Contract workers, daily wagers, and ad hoc employees are not to be treated differently
• Denying such benefits violates Article 15 (gender equality) and Article 21 (dignity of life)
Key Provisions Reaffirmed
• 26 weeks of paid leave for first two children
• ₹3500 medical bonus if no prenatal care is provided
• No termination during maternity period
Impact
• Schools, startups, NGOs and gig employers must now formalize benefit policies
• Labour commissioners are expected to enforce this more strictly
• Women finally have legal ground to fight back against quiet discrimination
Maternity isn’t a “break” from work. It’s a right born from life itself.
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