Maternity Leave

By Sam Banda Jnr

• Any female employee who has served in the civil service or private sector for a continuous period of not less than 12 months shall be entitled to 90 consecutive days maternity leave once every three years.

• This leave shall be with full pay.

• Where a female employee applies for maternity leave again before the three year period expires, the period of absence will be treated as unpaid leave or annual leave if not already taken.

• Every female employee on maternity leave is supposed to get all her normal benefits and entitlements including her contractual rights and accumulation of seniority.

• Some institutions also grant female employees on maternity leave extra days if there are associated problems within this period, but this goes with half pay or no pay.

• Female employees need to take note that while on maternity leave their jobs are intact and that if something happens to their posts while on maternity leave, institutions must look for an alternative.