Women Employees Can Avail 2-yr Child Care Leave at a Stretch: Kerala HC [READ JUDGMENT]

Central government institutions cannot insist that its female employees cannot avail the 730-day child care leave (CCL) at a stretch, the Kerala High Court has held. It is up to the female employee to decide whether CCL should be availed in a single stretch or not, the court said.

The ruling by a single bench of the court was after considering a petition (WP-C No. 18830/2017) filed by Beena S, who is a constable with Central Reserve Police Force’s Pallipuram unit. She is the mother of two children, aged 7 and 4 years and had sought CCL as there was nobody else to take care of the kids. Introduced as part of the 7^th Pay Commission recommendations, a female employee of a central government institution can avail CCL up to 730 days (2 years) during the entire service period for taking care of minor children.

Link to judgment: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B917iCHIrxbtc2UzNXpxOFhxTUE

Beena S Vs Union of India and Ors