Tamil Nadu Extends Government Employees Maternity Leave to 1 Year For Third Child

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a major change in maternity leave provisions for women employees, extending the benefit for the birth of a third child from 12 weeks to 365 days. The decision was announced in the state Assembly during the demand for grants for the Human Resources Management Department. Minister D Sarathkumar said the move was aimed at strengthening the government’s welfare measures and supporting women employees.

Under the existing rules, married women government employees with fewer than two surviving children are eligible for up to 365 days of maternity leave. However, employees who already have two or more surviving children were earlier entitled to only 12 weeks, or 84 days, of leave for a subsequent birth. The latest announcement will bring the maternity leave available for the third child on par with the one-year benefit provided for the first two children.

The government said the decision reflects its focus on social welfare and women’s empowerment. Sarathkumar announced that the maternity leave currently available for the third child would be increased from 12 weeks to 365 days. The move is expected to provide eligible women employees with a longer period to recover from childbirth and care for their newborns while retaining their employment benefits.

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Tamil Nadu has progressively expanded maternity leave for its government employees over the years. The entitlement, which was initially 90 days, was increased to six months in 2011 and nine months in 2016. In July 2021, the state government extended maternity leave to one year, or 365 days, for eligible employees having fewer than two surviving children.

The latest change concerns government women employees who have two or more surviving children. Officials said that under the existing eligibility framework, employees with fewer than two surviving children already receive 365 days of maternity leave. Meanwhile, women employees with two or more surviving children had continued to receive 12 weeks of leave with full pay under the applicable rules.

A senior government official said a detailed government order will be issued soon to implement the announcement made in the Assembly. The extension is expected to formally bring the third-child maternity leave provision into line with the one-year entitlement already available in qualifying cases. The government has described the measure as part of its broader approach towards employee welfare and women’s empowerment.

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