THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Now employees with private educational institutions including those in the unaided sector, will also be eligible for maternity benefits. They can now take six months' paid leave as part of maternity benefit. The state government issued the notification including them under the maternity benefit norms.
In a major move to ensure equal justice, Kerala has become the first state to bring the private education sector under maternity benefit. The Union government had earlier issued its nod for the state government decision to bring them under maternity benefits.
Currently, people working with private educational institutions are not covered under the maternity benefits act. However, the state has thousands of women including teachers working with the private education sector. Considering this the state cabinet took the decision to extend all provisions of the Maternity benefit Act to private educational institutions including unaided schools.
As part of the maternity benefit legislation, the employees will get paid leave for 26 weeks. In addition, the employer should give Rs 3500 for medical purposes. With the new notification, these benefits will become applicable to those in the unaided sector also.
The decision comes even as the state education department is set to come out with another major legislation fixing minimum wages to teachers in unaided educational institutions.