Rachael RA Rapsang, who was the dental officer at the church-run Dr H GordonRoberts Hospital in Shillong, had applied for nine months’ maternity leave. But the hospital authorities not only rejected it, they also terminated her services and asked her to refund the money paid in advance to her.

She applied a leave before two months that is on may 13th to medical superintendent David D Tariang. Two months later that is on july 16th she was informed by the authorities that her leave application could not be considered since there was no provision for such leave in contract service. She received a letter saying that your service as a contract staff is automatically discontinued with effect from June 1, and the pay already drawn by you for June 15 is to be refunded.

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Pregnant Shillong doctor fired for seeking maternity leave:

Rachael RA Rapsang had been serving in the hospital for the last five years and her service contract, extended by a year, was to have expired in April next year.

The contractual employees in many services are deprived of certain rightful provisions. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the private institutions do not exploit the contract staff,” she said, adding: “private institutions should be bound by certain conditions to protect the rights of the employees.

According to the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which was passed in 1978, gives pregnant women the same rights as others with “medical conditions” by prohibiting job discrimination. This law, which applies to companies employing 15 or more people, says…

Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks:

• Ordinary Maternity Leave – first 26 weeks
• Additional Maternity Leave – last 26 weeks

You don’t have to take 52 weeks but you must take 2 weeks’ leave after your baby is born (or 4 weeks if you work in a factory).

If you’re pregnant, your employer must protect your health and safety, and you may have the right to paid time off for antenatal classes, You are also protected against unfair treatment.

This is self-termination and not termination. No organisation on earth would grant a person, with a year’s contract, nine months’ leave. However, she (Rapsang) can reapply if she so desires,” is happening in church-run Dr H Gordon Roberts Hospital Meghalaya, shillong.