Extend maternity leave period: Lawyer

KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer said the government should review the current maternity leave accorded to women in the workforce.
Lawyer S. Darmarmen pointed out that the 90 days maternity leave for women working in the government sector and 60 days for those in the private sector had been in force for almost 30 years.
"If we look at developed countries like the United Kingdom, the maternity leave is longer, they also offer full salary for the first six months of the maternity leave, half-salary for the next six months and unpaid leave after one year.
"The measures taken by developed countries can be implemented here, taking into account the bonding between the mother and the newborn," he told Bernama when met at the 13th Meca Industrial Convention here, today.
Individuals with diverse backgrounds including human resource practitioners, businessmen and company managers are among the participants in the three-day convention starting today.
Earlier, Dharmen, who was one of the speakers at the convention dwelled on topics related to the Employment Act 1955. — Bernama