Delhi HC Orders Firm to Pay ₹10 Lakh for Maternity Demotion
· India · Hindustan Times, Indian Express
The Delhi High Court has ordered a private firm to pay ₹10 lakh in compensation plus ₹1.5 lakh in costs to a woman chartered accountant who was reassigned to a clerical treasury role after returning from maternity leave as an accounting manager. Justice Sachin Datta ruled on August 31 that maternity protection extends beyond job continuity to professional status and career advancement, and that statutory frameworks must be interpreted to advance rather than defeat constitutional guarantees. The court noted that neither the Maternity Benefit Act nor the Code on Social Security, 2020, provides a comprehensive framework for post-maternity reintegration. It directed the Centre to frame rules within six months covering role protection, return-to-work parity, lactation support, grievance redressal, and safeguards against workplace retaliation.
Why it matters
The ruling sets a precedent protecting women returning from maternity leave from being sidelined into lower-status roles, and the six-month directive forces the Centre to plug gaps in reintegration safeguards under Indian workplace law.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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