COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MATERNITY BENEFIT LAWS ACROSS DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

AUTHOR – PRIYA. C, SCHOLAR AT SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, THE TAMIL NADU DR AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, CHENNAI – 600113, MAIL: CP1794856@GMAIL.COM

BEST CITATION – PRIYA. C, COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MATERNITY BENEFIT LAWS ACROSS DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (1) OF 2025, PG. 1232-1239, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT:

     Maternity benefits are necessary to safeguard the financial security and health of working mothers and their children.  However, maternity benefit regulations in different countries differ significantly in terms of the duration of leave, wage compensation, employer obligations, and government support.  This study analyzes the maternity benefit policies of various nations, with a focus on developed and emerging economies.  In countries such as Sweden, Canada, and the UK, significant paid maternity and parental leave, often funded by the government, ensures mothers financial stability. On the other hand, the United States is the only developed nation without a federally mandated paid maternity leave program. Rather, unpaid leave is provided by the FMLA.  On the other hand, while developing nations like India provide extensive maternity leave, they also place a financial burden on businesses, which may result in hiring practices that discriminate against women.  The report also highlights significant challenges, including ignorance, budgetary constraints, and the exclusion of unorganized sector workers from maternity benefits. This study looks at global trends, finds best practices, and recommends policy reforms to increase employer involvement, prolong government-funded maternity leave, and promote shared parental leave in order to improve gender equality. Adopting universal maternity benefit standards might significantly improve the wellbeing of mothers and children while also fostering a more diverse and equitable workforce worldwide.

Keywords: Maternity benefit, working mothers, global trends.