Now outsourced employees in Haryana, can avail maternity leave

Haryana government on Monday directed all the service providers and agencies to sanction maternity leave for female employees of the state engaged under the outsourcing policies.

During the Vidhan Sabha session convened last month after the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party coalition government assumed office, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced in the House that women employees hired through service providers and agencies will be eligible for maternity leave on the lines of regular female employees of the state government.

“After careful consideration of the matter, it is directed by the government that all service providers shall extend benefits to female employees as prescribed in The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 of government of India and as amended from time to time,” the state government said in its letter sent to all the heads of the departments across the state.

The government has said the compliance of this Act relating to the female workers engaged for the services will be the “sole responsibility of the service provider/agency.”

In case of any lapse by the service provider in implementing the Act in question, the government has said, the department concerned will terminate the agreement with the service provider by giving 15 days notice.