The Centre has sent an advisory to all state governments and UTs to allow nursing mothers to work from home to protect them and their babies from the coronavirus pandemic.

It has been conveyed to the states that employers may be advised to allow work-from-home, wherever nature of work so allows , for nursing mothers at least for a period of one year from the date of  birth of the child, the Union Labour Ministry said on Wednesday.

The advisory has been issued “keeping in view the vulnerability of nursing mothers and their babies during the Covid pandemic and to save them from getting infected by coronavirus”  the Ministry of Labour & Employment said.

Section 5(5) of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017,  provides that 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.

The State Governments and UTs have been requested that steps may be taken to create awareness about section 5(5) of the Act amongst the women workforce and the employers.

The State Governments and UTs have been further requested that advisories may be issued to the employers for allowing more and more nursing mothers to work from home as per section 5(5) of the Act.

In addition to protecting the nursing mothers during Covid, the step will also enable them to remain in employment. Thus, the implementation of this provision will enhance participation of women in the labour force and also contribute to creating a happy workforce, the Labour Ministry statement adds.