Maternity leave cannot lead to loss of role or career prospects: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court ruled that women returning from maternity leave are entitled to their previous roles and cannot be sidelined or demoted. The court emphasized that professional advancement and responsibilities must be protected under the Maternity Benefit Act.
Why it matters
This sets a significant legal precedent for workplace gender equality and the protection of career trajectories for working mothers in India.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that a woman returning from maternity leave at a private company is ordinarily entitled to resume her previous position and cannot be placed at a professional disadvantage by reducing her responsibilities, managerial authority or prospects of career advancement.
Justice Sachin Datta, in the August 31 judgment, held that the protection under Section 12 of the Maternity Benefit Act is not limited to safeguarding continuity of employment or wages.
“It also encompasses the right of a woman employee to resume her employment without suffering any substantive disadvantage in her professional status, responsibilities, authority, or prospects of career advancement solely by reason of pregnancy or the availing of maternity leave,” the Judge said.
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