Dimapur, August 3 (MExN): The Labour Commissioner, Er SL Wati Aier has advised employers in Nagaland to allow more nursing mothers to work from home wherever the nature of work allows so. The Commissioner recommended at least for a period of one year from the date of birth of the child for nursing mothers.
Informing that the Government of India has amended the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 by way of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, the Commissioner highlighted that an important provision as per the amendment is the permit for working from home for nursing mothers.
Section 5(5) of the Act provides as follows: “(5) In case 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, nursing mothers are a highly vulnerable lot and there is a crucial need to protect this segment of the population from getting infected. Allowing nursing mothers to work from home can contribute to protecting them and their babies from getting infected, the Commissioner informed.
It is in this scenario that the enabling provision for allowing ‘work from home’ assumes significance and hence needs to be popularized amongst the woman workforce, he added.
Employers have been advised to allow more nursing mothers to work from home wherever nature of work allows to do so. All employers of mines, plantations, shops and establishments (either in organized sector or unorganized sector) and factories have been advised to comply with the information, a DIPR report stated.
