Maternity Benefit Act,1961
12. Dismissal during absence of pregnancy
(1) When a woman absents herself from work in accordance with
the provisions of this Act, it shall be unlawful for her employer to discharge
or dismiss her during or on account of such absence or to give notice of
discharge or dismissal on such a day that the notice will expire during such
absence, or to vary to her disadvantage any of the conditions of her service.
(2) (a) The discharge or dismissal of a woman at any time during
her pregnancy, if the woman but for such discharge or dismissal would have been
entitled to maternity benefit or medical bonus referred to in section 8, shall
not have the effect of depriving her of the maternity benefit or medical bonus:
PROVIDED that where the dismissal is for any prescribed
gross misconduct, the employer may, by order in writing communicated to the
woman, deprive her of the maternity benefit or medical bonus or both.
4 [(b) Any woman deprived of maternity benefit or medical
bonus, or both, or discharged or dismissed during or on account of her absence
from work in accordance with the provisions of this Act, may, within sixty days
from the date on which order of such deprivation or discharge or dismissal is
communicated to her, appeal to such authority as may be prescribed, and the
decision of that authority on such appeal, whether the woman should or should
not be deprived of maternity benefit or medical bonus, or both, or discharged
or dismissed shall be final.]
(c) Nothing contained in this sub-section shall effect the
provisions contained in sub-section (1).