The Factory Act of 1948 consolidated and amended laws regulating labor in factories. It defined key terms like "factory", "worker", and outlined provisions for health, safety and welfare of workers. Inspectors are appointed by state governments to enforce the act by entering premises, examining plants and machinery, inquiring into accidents and requiring documentation. Certified surgeons also perform duties like examining young workers and those engaged in dangerous work. The act widened the scope of a factory and strengthened provisions around child labor, working hours and overall worker health and safety.

1. FACTORIES ACT 1948

2. CHAPTER 1
What is factory act?
Definitions under the act

3. ABOUT THE FACTORY
• THE FACTORIES ACT, 1948
• ACT NO. 63 OF 1948
• [23rd September, 1948.]
• An Act to consolidate and amend the law regulating
labour in factories. Whereas it is expedient to
consolidate and amend the law regulating labour in
factories.

4. DEFINITIONS
"adult" means a person who has completed his fifteenth
year of age.
"adolescent" means a person who has completed his fifteen year of age but
has not completed his eighteenth year.
"calendar year" means the period of twelve months beginning with the first
day of January in any year.
"child" means a person who has not completed his fifteenth year of age.
"competent person", in relation to any provision of this Act, means a
person or an institution recognised as such by the Chief Inspector for the purposes of
carrying out tests, examinations and inspections required to be done in a factory
under the provisions of this Act having regard to-

5. "hazardous process" means any process or activity in relation to an
"young
person" means a person, who is either a child or an adolescent;
"day" means a period of twenty-four hours beginning at midnight;
"week" means a period a seven days beginning at midnight on Saturday
night or such other night as may be approved in writing for a particular area by
the Chief Inspector of Factories;
"power" means electrical energy, or any other form of energy, which is
mechanically transmitted and is not generated, by human or animal agency;
;
industry specified in the First Schedule where, unless special care is taken, raw
materials used therein or the intermediate or finished
products, byproducts, wastes or effluents thereof would-(i) cause material impairment to the health of the persons engaged in or
connected therewith, or
(ii) result in the pollution of the general environment:

6. "transmission machinery" means any shaft, wheel, drum, pulley, system of
pulleys, coupling, clutch, driving belt or other appliance of device by which the
motion of a prime-mover is transmitted to or received by any machinery or
appliance;
"machinery" includes prime-movers, transmission machinery and all other
appliances, whereby power is generated, transformed, transmitted or applied;
"manufacturing process" means any process for (i) making, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, packing, oiling, washing,
cleaning, breaking up, demolishing or otherwise treating or adopting any
article or substance with a view to its use, sale, transport, delivery or
disposal; or
[(ii) pumping oil, water, sewage, or any other substance; or ]
(iii) generating, transforming or transmitting power; or
(iv) composing types for printing, printing by letter press, lithography,
photogravure or other similar process or book-binding ;7[or] (v)
constructing, reconstructing, repairing, refitting, finishing or breaking up
ships or vessels ; [or]
(vi) preserving or storing any article in cold storage;

7. "worker" means a person [employed directly or by or through any agency (including a
contractor)with or without the knowledge of the principal employer whether for
remuneration or not] in any manufacturing process, or in cleaning any part of the
machinery or premises used for a manufacturing process, or in any other kind of work
incidental to, or connected with the manufacturing process, or the subject of the
manufacturing process [but does not include any member of the armed forces of the
Union];
"factory" means any premises including the precincts thereof (i) whereon ten or more workers are working, or were working on any day of the
preceding twelve months, and in any part of which a manufacturing process is being
carried on with the aid of power,or is ordinarily so carried on, or
(ii) whereon twenty or more workers are working, or were working on any day of the
preceding twelve months, and in part of which a manufacturing process is being carried
on without the aid of power, or is ordinarily so carried on.
"occupier" of a factor means a person, who has ultimate control over the affairs of the
factory,
"prime-mover" means any engine, motor or other appliance, which generates or
otherwise provides power;

8. 3. References to time of day
In this Act references to time of day are references to Indian Standard Time being five
and a half hours, ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Provided that for any area in which Indian Standard Time is not ordinarily observed the
[State] Government may make rules 1.specifying the area,
2.defining the local mean time ordinarily observed therein, and
3.permitting such time to be observed in all or any of the factories situated in the area.
4. Power to declare different departments to be
separate factories or two or more factories to be a
single factory
The State Government may, 20[on its own motion or] may, on writing, 20[and subject to
such conditions as it may deem fit],that for all or any of the purposes of this Act different
departments of branches of a factory of the occupier specified in the application shall be
treated as a single factory.]
20[Provided that no order under this section shall be made by the State Govt. on its own
motion unless an opportunity of being heard is given to the occupier.

9. CHAPTER -2
1. INSPECTORS
-how they are been appointed?
-Powers of inspectors
2. CERTIFIED SURGEONS
Duties performed by them

10. HOW INSPECTORS ARE APPOINTED?
(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint
such persons as inspectors for the purposes of this Act and may assign to
them such local limits as it may think fit.
(2)The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint
any person to be chief Inspector who shall, in addition to powers conferred
on Chief Inspector under this Act, exercise the powers of an Inspector
throughout the State.
35
[(2A)The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint
as many Additional Chief Inspectors, Joint Chief Inspectors and Deputy
Chief Inspectors and as many other officers.
(2B) Every additional Chief Inspector, Joint Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief
Inspector and every other) in the notification by which he is appointed, shall
exercise the power of an Inspector throughout the State.

11. (No one shall be permitted to be appointed in sub-section (1), sub-section
(2), 37[sub- section (2A)] or sub-section (5), , shall continue to hold office, who
is or becomes directly or indirectly interested in a factory or in any process or
business carried on therein or in any patent.
(4) Every District Magistrate shall be an Inspector for his district.
(5) The State Government may also, by notification as aforesaid, appoint such
public officers as it thinks fit to be additional Inspectors for all or any of the
purposes of this Act, within such local limits as it may assign to them
respectively
(6) In any area where there are more Inspectors than one the ![State]
Government may, by notification as aforesaid, declare the powers which such
Inspectors shall be respectively exercise and the Inspector to whom the
prescribed authority as the State Government may specify in this behalf.
notices are to be sent.
(7) Chief Inspector, Joint Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspector, Inspector and
every other officer appointed under this section], shall be deemed to be a public
servant within the meaning of the Indian penal Code (XLV of 1860), and shall
be officially subordinate to such authorities

12. POWERS OF THE INSPECTOR:
• An inspector may exercise the following powers:
 Enter with such assistants , being persons in the service of
the government.
 Make examination of the premises plant and machinery.
 Require the production of any prescribed register and any
other document relating to the factory.
 Inquire into the accident or dangerous occurrence.
 Seize or take the copies of the register.
 Take measurement and photographs an make recordings.
 Exercise the other powers as prescribed.

13. CERTIFIED SURGEONS
• The state government may appoint the qualified medical
practitioners to be a certifying surgeon for the purposes of
the act .
Duties
a)The examination and certification of young persons
b)The examination of persons engaged in factories and in
dangerous occupations.
c)Medical supervisions of factories

14. CHAPTER 3
Introduction
Various definition under factory act
Provisions for health
Provisions for safety

15. INTRODUCTION
 Working conditions of factory workers in India has been historically very
pathetic. Due to poverty and exploitation by factory owners, workers had
practically no option. Due to an increase in industrial activity in the later half of
the 19th century, attempts were made to improve the condition of the workers
through various acts. The act of 1948 builds upon the act of 1934 after
understanding the defects and weaknesses of the earlier act.
 The various changes made in the act of 1948 are:
 The widening the definition of a 'Factory' to include any industrial establishment
employing 10 or more people that uses power, or any industrial establishment
that employs more than 20 people that does not use any power.
The distinction between seasonal and non-seasonal factories was removed.
 Increasing the minimum age of children, eligible to work from 12 to 14.
 Reducing the hours of work for children, from 5 to 4 and a half.
 Prohibiting children from working after 7 PM and before 6 AM.
 Explicit and special focus on health, safety, and welfare of all sorts of workers.

16. VARIOUS TERMS DEFINED UNDER FACTORIES
ACT 1948
• Sec 2(k) Manufacturing Process
Any
process
for
making, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, packing, breaking
up, demolishing, or otherwise treating any article for
use, sale, transport, delivery, or disposal.
• Sec 2(l) Worker
Any person employed directly or indirectly, for or without
remuneration, with or without knowledge of the principle
employer, working in a manufacturing process, or cleaning any part of
machinery or premises of a manufacturing process, or any other kind
of work incidental to or connected with the main manufacturing
process or with the subject of manufacturing process.

17. • Sec 2(m) Factory
10+ people with power or 20+ people without power.
Worked at any time in previous 12 months. Shifts/Relays are also counted
as a person.
Exceptions - Railway Running Shed, Mines, Hotel, Restaurants, Armed
Forces, Any data processing unit that uses computers for office work and
does not do manufacturing.
• Sec 2 (c) Hazardous Process
Any Process or activity in relation to an industry specified in first schedule
where, unless special care is taken, raw materials used, final
output, intermediary product, by product, waste, or effluent can cause
material impairment to the health of a person working in the process directly
or indirectly or causes environmental pollution.

18. PROVISION FOR HEALTH
The following sections deal with the health provisions for factory
workers.
Sec. 11 Cleanliness
1.
2.
3.
4.
Floor must be cleaned every day, if possible by disinfectant. If the floor is
wet and cannot be drained, special provisions must be made to drain the
water.
Walls must be regularly cleaned. They must be whitewashed every 6
months. If an oil based paint/varnish is used, it must be cleaned every year
and must be repainted every 3 years.
Doors, windows, and railings must be cleaned periodically.
A register must be maintained that logs all the cleaning activities
performed.
Sec.12 Waste and Affluent
All the waste and affluent generated in the factory must be removed from the
factory with proper treatment.

19. Sec.13 Temperature and Ventilation
The temperature of the working place must be maintained. Special care must
be take to not let the temperature increase where any work that use or
produces heat is performed. Fresh air must be circulated through adequate
ventilation.
Sec.14 Dust and Fumes
Proper steps must be taken to remove the dust and fumes from the working
area. Gases or exhaust fumes generated by any equipment such as diesel
generator should be routed and released outside the workplace.
Sec.15 Artificial Humidity
Any place where humidity is increased artificially, proper instruments must
installed to record the humidity
Sec 16 Overcrowding
A factory established before this act must have at least 9.1 sqft of space per
person, while new factories must have 14.2 sq ft. The maximum capacity of a
room or enclosure must be posted outside the room and a log must be
maintained.
.

20. Sec 17 Lighting
Proper lighting arrangements must be made to ensure that it does not cause
glare in eyes. Light source must be such that a shadow is not created in the
work area.
Sec 18 Drinking water
Clean safe drinking water must be provided. Water must be kept away from any
dirty place. No waste should be routed from the place where drinking water is
kept. At least six meters away from latrines, urinals, washing place. "Drinking
water" must be written in bold and legible to all.
Sec 19 Latrines and Urinals
A separate place must be created for men and women. Height must be the
floor and walls must be properly tiled. It must be cleaned every day.
Sec 20 Spittoons
Spittoons must be placed at several appropriate locations.

21. SAFETY PROVISIONS
 The areas covered under the safety provisions are from (sec21 to 41):











Fencing of machinery(sec 21)
Work on near machinery in motion(sec 22)
Employment of young persons on dangerous machines (sec 23)
Striking gear and devices for cutting off powers (sec 24)
Self acting machines (sec 25)
Casing of new machinery (sec 26)
Prohibition of employment of women and children near cotton openers (sec
27)
Hoists and lifts (sec 28)
Lifting machines, chains, ropes and lifting tackles (sec 29)
Revolving machinery (sec 30)
Pressure plant (sec 31)

22. Floors, stairs, and means of access (sec 32)
Pits, sumps, openings in floors, etc (sec 33)
Excessive weights (sec 34)
Protection of eyes (sec 35)
Precautions under dangerous fumes (sec 36)
Precautions regarding the use of portable electric light (sec
36-A)
Precautions explosive or inflammable dust, gas, etc (sec 37)
Precautions in case of fire (sec 38)
Power to require specifications of defective parts or tests of
satability (sec 39)
Safety of building and machinery (sec 40)
Maintenance of building (sec 40-A)
Safety officers (sec 40-B)
Powers to make rules to supplement the above provisions (sec
41)

23. CHAPTER 4
Provision related to hazardous process
Powers of central government to appoint
inquiry committees
Statutes
Rights of workers to give warning about
imminent dangers

24. PROVISIONS RELATED TO HAZARDOUS
PROCESS
(1) The State Government may, for purposes of advising it to
consider applications for grant of permission for the initial
location of a factory involving a hazardous process, appoint a
Site Appraisal Committee consisting of :I.
II.
Chief Inspector of the State who shall be its Chairman
A representative of the Central Board for the Prevention and Control of
Water Pollution appointed by the Central Government
III. A representative Board for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution
referred to in section 3 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act, 1981 (14 of 1981);
IV. A representative of the State Board for the Prevention and Control of Air
Pollution
V. A representative of the Department of Environment in the State;
VI. A representative of the Meteorological Department of the Government of
India
VII. An expert in the field of occupational health

25. (2) The Site) Act, 1981 (14 of 1981). shall examine an application for the
establishment of a factory involving hazardous process and make its
recommendation to the State Government within a period of ninety days of the
receipt of such Appraisal control of Pollution application in the prescribed form.
(3) Where any process relates to a factory owned or controlled by the Central
Government or to a corporation or a company owned or controlled by the
Central Government or to a corporation or a company owned or controlled by
the Central Government, the State Government shall co-opt in the Site
Appraisal Committee nominated by the Central Government as a member of
that Committee.
(4) The Site Appraisal Committee shall have power to call for any information
from the person making an application for the establishment or expansion of a
factory involving a hazardous process.
(5) Where the State Government has granted approval to an application for the
establishment or expansion of a factory involving a hazardous process, it shall
not be necessary for an applicant to obtain a further approval from the Central
Board or the State Board established under the Water.

26. POWERS OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO
APPOINT INQUIRY COMMITTEE
• The Central Government may, in the event of the
occurrence of an extraordinary situation involving a
factory engaged in a hazardous process, appoint an
Inquiry Committee.

27. STATUTES
o The Committee appointed under sub-section(1) shall
consist of a Chairman and two other members and the
terms of reference of the Committee and the tenure of
office of its members shall be such as may be
determined by the Central Government according to
thre requirements of the situation.
o The recommendation of the Committee shall be
advisory in nature.

28. RIGHTS OF WORKERS TO GIVE WARNINGS
ABOUT IMMINENT DANGERS
1. Where the workers employed in any factory engaged in a
hazardous process have reasonable apprehension that
there is a likelihood of imminent danger to their lives or
health
2. It shall be the duty of such occupier, agent, manager or
the person incharge of the factory or process to take
immediate remedial action if he is satisfied about the
existence of such imminent danger and send a report
forthwith of the action taken to the nearest Inspector.
3. If the occupier or a manager is not satisfied about the
existence of the imminent danger or apprehended by the
worker , he is permitted to consult the inspector for
clarifications and feedback.

29. CHAPTER 5
WELFARE:
-provision of welfare
-provision for welfare of women
-provision of welfare for young persons

30. WELFARE PROVISIONS
The following sections 42 to 50 deal with the welfare
provisions for factory workers.
• Sec 42 Washing Facilities
•
•
•
•
Sec 43 Facility for drying and storage of clothes
Sec 44 Facility for sitting
Sec 45 First Aid Appliances
Sec 46 Canteen
Bengal Water Proof Workers vs State of West Bengal 1970 - Held that the liability
of a company is only to set up a canteen so that workers can take advantage of it.
The terms and conditions of service of the staff of the canteen do not come under
that liability.
• Sec 47 Shelter, rest rooms, and lunch rooms

31. Sec 48 Crèche
Sec 49 Welfare Officer
Sec 50 Power to make rules to supplement this chapter:
This includes requiring any factory or class of factories to involve workers
representatives in the management of welfare activities for the workers. It also
allows the state to exempt certain factories from welfare provisions, provided
that alternative arrangements are made.

32. Provisions for welfare of Women Given
in Factory Act :
Sec. 19 - Toilets and Urinals,
Sec. 27 - Prohibition of employing women and
children near cotton openers.
Sec. 48 - Crèches
Sec. 66 - Further restrictions on employment of
women - no flex on working hrs, no change of shifts
except after holiday.
Maternity Benefit Act 1961
Equal Remuneration Act 1976

33. Provisions for welfare of Children and
Young Persons
 Adult - As per section 2 (a), a person who has completed his
18th year of age.
 Adolescent - As per section 2 (b), a person who has completed
his 15th year of age but not 18th.
 Child - As per section 2 (c), a person who has not yet
completed his 15th year of age.
 Young Person - As per section 2(d) A person who is a child or
an adolescent.

34. CHAPTER 6
WORKING HOURS OF ADULTS
-weekly hours
-weekly holidays
-compensatory holidays
-daily hours
-night shift

35. WEEKLY HOURS OF WORK FOR ADULTS
No adult worker shall be required or allowed to
work in a factory for more than forty-eight hours in
any week.

36. WEEKLY HOLIDAYS
(1) No adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in
a factory on first day of the week (hereinafter referred to
as the said day), unless (a) he has or will have holiday for whole day on one of
three days immediately before or after the said day, and
(b) the manager of the factory has, before said day or the
substituted day under clause (a), whichever is earlier :I.
Delivered a notice a the office of the Inspector of his
intention to require the worker to work on the said day
and of the day which is to be substituted, and
II. Displayed a notice to that effect in the factory :
Provided that no substitution shall be made which will
result in any worker working for more than ten days
consecutively without a holiday for a whole day.

37. (
2) Notices given under sub-section (1) , may be canceled by a
notice delivered at the office of the Inspector and a notice
displayed in the factory not later than the day before the said day
or the holiday to be cancelled, whichever is earlier.
(3) Where, in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1),
any worker works on the said day and has had a holiday on
one of the three days immediately before it, that said day shall,
for the purpose of calculating his weekly hours of work, be
included in the preceding week.

38. Schedule
Quantity H.P. Maximum number of persons to be employed on any one day during
Installed
the year.
(max H.P.)
20
50
100
250
500
750
1000
Above 1000
Rs.
Rs
Rs
Rs
Rs
Rs
Rs
Rs
Nil
200
400
600
800
1000
2000
3000
4000
10
400
600
800
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
50
600
800
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
100
800
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
8000
250
1000 1500
2500
4000
5000
6000
8000
10000
500
1000
1500 2000
2000 3000
3000
4000
5000
6000
6000
8000
8000 10000 12000
10000 12000 14000
Above 1000
3000 4000
6000
8000
10000 12000 14000 16000

39. COMPENSATORY HOLIDAYS
• Where, as a result of the passing of order or the making of a
rule under the provisions of this Act exempting a factory or the
workers therein from the provisions of section 52, a worker is
deprived of any of the weekly holidays for which provision is
made in sub-section (1) of that section he shall be
allowed, within the month in which the holidays were due to him
or within the two months immediately following that
month, compensatory holidays of equal number to the holidays
so lost.
DAILY HOURS
Subject to the provisions of section 51, no adult worker shall be
required or allowed to work in a factory for more than nine hours
in any day.

40. NIGHT SHIFTS
• Where a worker in a factory works on a shift which
extends beyond midnight :-
(a) for the purposes of section 52 and 53, a holiday for a
whole day shall mean in his case a period of twentyfour consecutive hours beginning when his shift ends;
(b) the following day for him shall be deemed to be the
period of twenty-four hours beginning when such shift
ends, and the hours he has worked after midnight shall
be counted in the previous day.

41. CHAPTER 7
•Prohibition of employment of young persons
•Working hours for children
•Labour of children
-hours and period of work
-weekly holidays for young persons

42. PROHIBITON OF EMPLOYMENT OF
YOUNG PERSON
No child who has not completed his fourteenth year
shall be required or allowed to work in any factory.

43. WORKING HOUR FOR CHILDEREN
1) No child shall be employed or permitted to work in any factory (a) for more than four and a half hours in any day ;
(b) during the night.(mean a period of at least twelve consecutive hours which
shall include the interval between 10 P.M. and 6 A.M.)
(2) The period of work of all children employed in a factory shall
be limited to two shifts which shall not overlap or spread over
more than five hours each; and each child shall be employed in
only one of the relays which shall not, except with the previous
permission in writing of the Chief Inspector, be changed more
frequently than once in a period of thirty days.
(3) The provisions of section 52 shall apply also to child workers
and no exemption from the provisions of that section may be
granted in respect of any child.

44. 4) No child shall be required or allowed to work in any factory
on any day on which he has already been working in another
factory.
(
(5) No female child shall be required or allowed to work in any
factory except between 8 A.M. and 7 P.M.]

45. LABOUR OF CHILDREN
The Factory Act was an attempt to establish a regular working day
in the textile industry. The act had the following provisions:
o Children (ages 14–18) must not work more than 12 hours a day
with an hour lunch break. Note that this enabled employers to
run two 'shifts' of child labour each working day in order to
employ their adult male workers for longer.
o Children (ages 9–13) must not work more than 8 hours with an
hour lunch break.
o Children (ages 9–13) must have two hours of education per
day.
o Outlawed the employment of children under 9 in the textile
industry.
o Children under 18 must not work at night.
o Provided for routine inspections of factories.

46. Hours and Period of Work:
1) No child shall be required or permitted to work in any establishment
in excess of such number of hours, as may be prescribed for such
establishment or class of establishments.
2) The period of work on each day shall be so fixed that no period shall
exceed three hours and that no child shall work for more than three
hours before he has had an interval for rest for at least one hour.
3) The period of work of a child shall be so arranged that inclusive of
his interval for rest, under sub-section (2), it shall not be spread
over more than six hours, including the time spent in waiting for
work on any day.

47. 4.No child shall be permitted or required to work between 7 p.m.
and 8 a.m.
5.No child shall be required or permitted to work overtime.
6.No child shall be required or permitted to work in, any
establishment on any day on which he has already been
working in another establishment.

48. Weekly Holidays for young person:
Every child employed in an establishment shall be
allowed in each week, a holiday of one whole
day, which day shall be specified by the occupier in
a notice permanently exhibited in a conspicuous
place in the establishment and the day so specified
shall not be altered by the occupier more than once
in three months.

49. CHAPTER 8
Annual leave provision as per factory act
1948

50. Employment laws set the umbrella framework for deciding different
dimensions of leave, like category or types, eligibility, duration etc. Many
companies and organizations categorise leaves in different categories
like casual leave, sick leave, earned leave, maternity leave, special
leaves, loss of pay leave, compensatory leave etc.
In case of employment contacts, where trade unions are involved in
deciding employment contacts, leave rules are formulated in
consultation with the unions. Such elaborate consultation is specified in
The Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act which is formed for
enforcement of different conditions of services.
In India, three types of leaves are generally followed namely earned
leave, sick leave and casual leave. Different provisions exist under
different laws, for different categories of leaves.

51. EARNED LEAVE:
Earned leave is also known as “privileged leave”. As the name suggests, this leave
is earned by the employees while they serve the organisation. These leaves are
earned during the year and can be availed during the same subsequent year.
Factories Act, 1948 Section 791
As per the provisions of Factories Act, 1948, any worker covered under the Act who
has worked for at least 240 days in a calendar year becomes eligible for earned
leave which he can enjoy in the subsequent year.
- In case of an adult, he/she becomes eligible for a day leave for every 20 days
worked in previous year.
- In case of child, (i.e. a person who has not completed his/her fifteenth year of
age) they become entitled to one day leave for every 15 days worked during
previous year.
These earned leaves can be carried forward to an extent of 30 days in case of
adult and not more than 40 days in case of child.
Domestic Workers (Registration Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2008
Section 227
A domestic worker living in the house is entitled to annual leave with wages for at
least 15 days during the year.

52. CASUAL LEAVE:
Casual leave is generally understood as the leave that is not
earned while on duty. Prior intimation is needed to be given
to the employer if an employee needs to avail casual leave.
A leave can be treated as casual leave only if it has been
sanctioned/granted by the employer.The quantum of casual
leave too, is like sick leave and is fixed by the
company/organization in accordance with the State’s Shops
andEstablishment Act or any other law applicable to
it, except where it has been specifically provided by law.

53. SICK LEAVE/ MEDICAL LEAVE:
Sick leave is the leave that an employee can avail in case of
sickness of self or relative (as specified under law). Sick leave
provides pay to employees when they are out of work due to
illness. Most of the times the quantum of such leave is fixed by
the company/organization in accordance with the State’s Shops
and Establishment Act or any other law applicable to it, but then
some legislations do contain specific provisions in this
respect.11Sick leaves accumulated in a year can be carried
forward and availed in the next year. The quantum of leaves
that can be carried forward should commensurate to the one
provided under the applicable law.
Apprentices Act, 1961
Section 15 (Rule 13)12
Any person appointed as an apprentice under the Act can
avail medical leave for a maximum period of 15 days in a
year and in case of accumulated leave up to 40 days in a
year.

54. MATERNITY LEAVE
The Central Government passed the Maternity Benefit Act in 1961 which
extends to the whole of India and applies to every establishment belonging
to the government and to every establishment which may be
industrial, commercial, agricultural or otherwise.A female employee who has
completed one year of continuous service is entitled to three months of
maternity leave.
Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 Section 417
The Act provides 12 weeks as the maximum period for which any working
woman shall be entitled to maternity benefit. She can avail this benefit as 6
weeks upto and including the day of her delivery and 6 weeks immediately
following the day of her delivery.
Section 918 In case of miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy, a
female employee can avail maximum 6 weeks leave with average pay from
the date of miscarriage or termination of pregnancy.
Section 1019 Also additional leave with pay for upto 1 month can be availed on
production of proof, revealing illness due to
pregnancy, delivery, miscarriage, or premature birth.
Section 1320 Where a female employees needs to undergo tubectomy
operation she can avail leave with wages at the rate of maternity benefit for
upto two weeks immediately following the day of her operation.

55. PARENTAL LEAVE FOR GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEE’S
Maternity Leave23
Central Government employees (those directly under GOI) are
governed by the Central Civil Service (Leave) Rules, 1972. Under the
rules, female employees are entitled to maternity leave for a period of
180 days for their first two live born children.
Child Care Leave24
A female Central Government employee having minor children below
the age of 18 years can avail child care leave for a maximum period of
two years (i.e. 730 days). This can be availed during their entire
service, for taking care of upto two children whether for rearing or to
look after any of their needs like examination, sickness etc.In totality,
including the paid leave period, women employees can avail child care
leave for a period of three years. All the benefits here will be admissible
only in respect of their two eldest surviving children
The nature of this leave has to be the same as that of earned leave.

56. Paternity Leave25
The Central Government in 1999 by notification under Central Civil
Services (Leave) Rule 551 (A) made provisions for paternity leave for a
male Central Government employee (including an apprentice and
probationer) with less than two surviving children for a period of 15 days to
take care of his wife and new born child. He can avail this leave 15 days
before or within 6 months from the date of delivery of child. If such leave is
not availed within the period, it shall be treated as lapsed.
For Paternity leave he shall be paid leave salary equal to the pay last
drawn immediately before proceeding on leave.
Following Central Government’s move, many State governments have also
implemented similar provisions for its employees.
Child Adoption Leave26
Adoptive mothers who are Central Government employees become eligible
to 180 days of maternity leave but, this is applicable only if they have less
than two surviving children at the time of adoption and if she adopts a child
who is below one year of age.Also now male Central Government
employees too are eligible for 15 days of paternity leave on adopting a child
pursuant to same conditions as applicable to female employees.

57. NATIONAL AND FESTIVAL HOLIDAYS
Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15) and Gandhi
Jayanti (October 2) are the three national holidays observed in India. On
these days all institutions, irrespective of under which law they are covered,
or whether they are public or private organizations or MNCs should
necessarily remain closed.
The festival holiday are decided based on the local festival of that locality
and are granted to the employee’s in accordance with the company policies.
QUARANTINE LEAVE
This leave is usually granted to a concerned employee by reason of
presence of an infectious disease in the family or household of the
employee, if such disease is considered to be hazardous to the health of
other people.
An employee covered under this Act can avail maximum 30 days of
quarantine leave on recommendations by authorized Medical Attendant or
Public Health Officer.
EXTRAORDINARY LEAVE
Working Journalist and Other News Paper Employee’s (Conditions of
Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955
Rule 3130

58. INNOVATIVE LEAVE
Human Resource department of every company deals with employees and to maintain
a healthy and friendly relation with them. They work as a bridge between employees
and management. As the competition in the labour market is high to find and retain
skilled employees HR department of various companies other than the legal leaves
also are coming up with various innovative leaves. Some of the examples of these
leaves adopted by different companies to provide benefit to their employees are as
follows:
Bereavement Leave37
This leave is a grant paid time off from work to employees for the death of a relative.
Employees are eligible for up to 7 days leave, if necessary, in the event of the death of
an immediate family member (defined as parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse,
children and in-laws). This leave is generally provided for the demise of close relative,
and depends on the policies framed by the organisation. This leave is not legally
entitled but is an innovative approach of HR policies in some of the private firms.
Birthday Leave38

59. STUDY LEAVE/SABBATICAL LEAVE
Study leave/sabbatical leave is granted to an employee to pursue
higher studies with a guarantee to resume them in job on
completion of the leave. Such leaves are granted to an employee in
accordance with company policies and may be paid or unpaid
sabbatical leave. The sabbatical leave would be exclusively for
scientific or academic work at any relevant institution in India or
abroad. The facility of sabbatical leave may be extended to include
work on other activities of the innovation chain with industry,
consultancy organizations, financial institutions, project engineering
firms, technology marketing/transfer agencies, etc.
LEAVE NOT DUE
Where an employee has no leave to his credit and he/she still
requires leave, such leave may be granted at the discretion of the
employer.