POLICY ON MATERNITY LEAVE

POLICY ON MATERNITY LEAVE

I. OBJECTIVE

To grant pregnant employees maternity leaves during which they are entitled to receive full pay even if their delivery is unsuccessful or results in a medical abortion as legally mandated under the Philippine Labor Code.

II. SCOPE

This policy is applicable to all probationary and regular pregnant employees.

III. DEFINITION

• Maternity Leave: A period of approved absence for a female employee granted for the purpose of giving birth and taking care of infant children.

IV. REFERENCE

Maternity Leave Policy

V. GUIDELINES

1. The pregnant employee, in the private sector, whether married or unmarried, shall be entitled to maternity leave benefit of sixty (60) days in case of normal delivery or miscarriage, or seventy-eight (78) days, in case of Caesarian section delivery, with benefits equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of the average daily salary credit of the employee as defined under the law;

2. The pregnant employee, to be entitled to the maternity leave benefit should be an SSS member employed at the time of her delivery or miscarriage. She must have given the required notification to the SSS through her employer; and her employer must have paid at least three monthly contributions to the SSS within the 12-month period immediately before the date of the contingency (i.e., childbirth or miscarriage). The maternity leave benefit, like other benefits granted by the Social Security System (SSS), is granted to employees in lieu of wages. Thus, this may not be included in computing the employee’s thirteenth-month pay for the calendar year;

3. The maternity benefits shall be paid only for the first four (4) deliveries. The employer shall be the one to furnish full payment of the maternity benefits within 30 days from the filing of the maternity leave application. The SSS is ultimately the one who shoulders payment, but the procedure is that the payment is to be initially advanced by the employer. This is subject to immediate reimbursement by SSS;

4. Maternity leave may be extended on account of illness arising out of the pregnancy, delivery, abortion or miscarriage, which renders the woman unfit for work. Extended maternity leave is without pay, but may be charged against any unused leave credits for the fiscal year; and

5. The pregnant employee shall file a maternity leave in the Human Resource Office at least fifteen (15) days before the expected childbirth. A notification of the actual date of delivery (normal or caesarian section) shall be given to the payroll clerk for purposes of computing the maternity benefits.

VI. ADMINISTRATION

The foregoing policy shall be administered by the Human Resource Officer in coordination with the Department/Unit Heads and Finance Officer.