The Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Act 2017 has yet to yield positive outcomes for women’s employment opportunities. Contrary to expectations, women’s participation has declined in more than half of the sectors since the enactment of the act, as revealed in the latest report by TeamLease, a human resource company.
According to the report, seven out of the ten sectors assessed were anticipated to exhibit a favorable trend in women’s workforce engagement in the medium term (1-4 years) due to the act. However, five of these sectors are trailing behind, displaying a decrease in the proportion of women in their workforce.
Post-maternity, women encounter various challenges. The report highlights that a significant number of women (30 percent) cited wage reductions, followed by resistance or lack of support from family (25 percent), and challenges in accessing childcare (20 percent).
Additionally, the report discloses that only 53 percent of employers have a comprehensive understanding of the act and its provisions. Just 40 percent of the surveyed employers adhere to the mandated 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. While 53 percent view the act as not currently cost-effective, they believe it will be advantageous in the long run.
The report contends that a considerable portion of male employees (around 36 percent) perceive the Maternity Benefit Act as one-sided. Furthermore, 45 percent of respondents believe that both parents should receive paid leave for childcare.
Employers attribute a lack of awareness about the act, increased costs, and additional burdens on fellow employees as fallout from the act. Women, on the other hand, cite time spent on domestic duties, societal stigma against women in the workforce, and regressive attitudes of employers as primary reasons for choosing to stay away from work, according to the report.
