All about Women and Maternity Leave, Women and Work, Women and Wages, Women and Sick leave on Mywage Zambia.
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By Meluse Kapatamoyo
According to the Minimum Wages Act, “A female employee shall be entitled to ninety days maternity leave on production of a medical certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner.”
But while women know this act, few understand their rights at work once they fall pregnant and what happens after they have delivered and their maternity leave comes to an end.
The Zambian law stipulates that “…Where by reason of illness due to pregnancy, a female employee becomes temporarily incapable of performing her official duties; she shall be entitled to sick leave.
No employer shall terminate the services of a female employee or impose any other penalty or disadvantage upon such employee, within six months after delivery, for reasons connected with such employee’s pregnancy.
The employee shall be granted leave of absence without loss of pay to enable her to nurse her sick child who has been hospitalised, if due to the nature of the illness the child requires special attention. An employer may, before granting such leave, require the employee to produce a certificate from a medical institution recommending that leave be granted. Days taken as leave shall not be deducted from the employee’s accrued leave days.”
Also remember that maternity leave granted shall be in addition to any other leave to which the employee may be entitled.
But note that maternity leave shall be granted to a woman who has completed two years continuous service from the date of first engagement or since the last maternity was taken.
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