Maternity Benefits Laws for Sri Lankan Female Employees: Reference to Maternity Benefits Ordinance and the Shop and Office Employees Act

Abstract

As in many developing countries, the increasing Sri Lankan female employment constitutes crucial sectors of the working population. By analogy, it has been associated with low wages, poor working conditions and significant erosion of labour standards. Hence, the women workers? rights are challenged and a question arises that women workers could win their rights and social justice without any discrimination. Therefore the laws on female employment should receive a special focus. Sri Lankan women workers both in public and private sectors are governed by major employment statutes, but with lacunas. In accordance to the provisions of Maternity Benefits Ordinance No.32 of 1939 and The Shop and Office Employees Act, female employees? rights are not secured. Sri Lankan constitution also guarantees only women to challenge discriminatory administration action of public sector authorities while it is ensuring both male and female protection. Nonetheless, the labour legislations for female workers are not touching with the maternity benefits in an effective way to ensure the social security and justice regarding holidays, overtime and leave, allowances and to strengthen the job satisfaction. Certain categories of women employees are also not covered by existing labour laws regarding the maternity benefits of domestic service and migratory employment in the Middle East. This study emphasizes that the reforms are to be introduced on maternity benefits laws in Sri Lankan female employment in order to inculcate the social security, rights and job satisfaction for national development to overcome many challenges and to win the rights of female workers in the future. Further this will mainly deal with the maternity benefits laws of female employment and how it should be implemented the new laws and reforms in order to protect the social stage of female workers for the national development.