India Employment Guide

Maternity Leave Policy in India

Employees who have completed at least 80 days of service with their current employer within the preceding year are entitled to 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. A maximum of 8 weeks of this leave can be utilized prior to the expected delivery date.

During this period, employees receive their full average daily wage, with the financial responsibility falling entirely on the employer. For instance, a marketing manager at SailGlobal with 18 months of tenure would be eligible for the full 26-week benefit. Employees also have the option to request an extension of their leave on an unpaid basis, subject to company approval.

Paternity Leave Regulations

Indian labor legislation currently does not mandate paternity leave for new fathers. This creates a significant gap in supporting shared parenting responsibilities during the critical postnatal period.

Parental Leave Provisions

There is no statutory parental leave framework separate from maternity provisions in India. Employees seeking time off for child-rearing purposes typically rely on maternity leave eligibility or negotiate individual arrangements with their employers. Companies like SailGlobal often develop enhanced parental policies beyond legal requirements to attract top talent.

Statutory Sick Leave Entitlements

Employees accumulate paid sick leave at a rate of one day per month of service, capping at 12 days annually. This leave is compensated at 100% of the employee's average wage, with employers bearing the full cost. For example, an employee with 10 months of service would have 10 days of accrued sick leave available.