In our previous update on the implementation of the provisions of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Amendment Act), we had mentioned that the Ministry of Labour and Employment intended to bring the crèche provisions into effect at a later date and that the original notification would need to be rectified accordingly. The government has now issued a notification to clarify the effective dates of the Amendment Act.
It is clarified that all provisions of the Amendment Act (including provisions on leave and work from home) will take effect from 1 April 2017, except the requirement to have crèche facilities which will take effect from 1 July 2017. It is expected that the government will issue rules to provide some guidelines to employers in relation to the crèche facility requirements, before they come into force.