IndexMaternity Allowance Act, 1961Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972General AnalysisConclusionMaternity Allowance Act, 1961The Act is a form of beneficial legislation which tries to provide women with all possible benefits at work so that they are not forced to give up their career after the birth of a child. In pursuit of this objective, various amendments have been incorporated into the act in line with contemporary developments across the world. The “work from home” arrangement ensures that the employee does not have to choose between her child and her job and can achieve her professional goals while simultaneously meeting her child's needs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The provision extending the law's scope to adoptive and foster mothers represents a major breakthrough achieved by lawmakers. This not only promotes the trend of adopting orphaned children but also reduces the insecurities of those single mothers who juggle maintaining work-life balance and playing a dual role at home. Additionally, women who obtain a child through surrogacy also have the opportunity to bond with the child just like other biological mothers. The legal obligations imposed on the employer ensure that all requirements are met and the objects of the law are fulfilled. However, the flip side reveals some disturbing findings. According to reports in the latest report from TeamLease Services, a staffing company, published in June 2018, the recently introduced maternity benefits could have a negative impact on the number of female workers. female workforce in India. The report estimates a net job loss of 11-18 lakh women for 2018-19. The reason behind this inconceivable result is this; employers believe that it is more convenient to hire male employees than to comply with all legal requirements. Perceiving things from their point of view, hiring female employees is the “worst trade deal in the history of trade deals.” They should be careful when assigning tasks to female employees that may impact their pregnancy. This usually means reassigning the task to someone else. While it may not seem like a big deal for white collar jobs, it is very significant for blue collar jobs. In labor-intensive occupations, there is little that pregnant women can do. Therefore, for the employer, they represent a liability. Therefore, try to discontinue their services to reduce production costs. Since the statute prevents him from doing so, he decides not to hire any workers. So, in fact, the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act are causing a decline in the female employment rate. Furthermore, increased leave time is seen as reinforcing traditional gender roles. While women are entitled to 26 weeks of leave, there is currently no similar provision for 'paternity leave' in India. It is therefore said that behind this "benefit" there is a second reason; a reason to support and strengthen the traditional role of women as mother, wife and homemaker. Although the provision to open a workplace nursery is a positive initiative, the requirement to have a minimum of fifty employees seems unreasonable. Payment of Gratuities Act, 1972 An example of social welfare legislation, this Act aims to provide financial stability to those.