Following the advisory issued by the Centre, the state labour commissioner Er. S. L. Wati Aier has advised the employers to encourage work-from-home for nursing mothers under the enabling provision for permitting work from home for nursing mothers under the Section 5 (5) of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017.
The Act provides that 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.
Labour commissioner stated that allowing nursing mothers to work from home could contribute to protecting them and their babies from getting infected.
The employers have been 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, the commissioner said.
Labour commissioner has, therefore, advised all employers of mines, plantations, shops and establishments (either in organized sector or unorganized sector) and factories to comply with the information.