Gazette Notifications

Central

Withdrawal Of PF To Facilitate Housing Needs Of Workers

Government of India vide gazette notification dated 12th April 2017, has made amendments to the Employees Provident Funds Scheme. A member may withdraw or finance from the amount standing to his credit in the Fund, for the purchase of dwelling house or flat or the construction of a dwelling house. The amount of the withdrawal should not exceed ninety percent of contribution and interest accumulated in his share.The withdrawal can only be made once and is restricted to members who have had membership of the Fund for at least three years

Central

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 Clarification

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has released the FAQs and clarification of the questions surrounding the Maternity Benefit Amendment 2017, Wherein, creche facility provisions will come into effect on 1st July, 2017 and the rest of the Act will come into effect from 1st April, 2017. Enhanced maternity benefit leave of 26 weeks can be availed by women who were already under maternity leave at the time of the enforcement of the Amendment Act. Women who have already availed 12 weeks of Maternity leave before enforcement of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, i.e 1st April 2017, shall not be entitled to avail extended maternity benefit of the 26 weeks leave.

Central

The Employee's Compensation (Amendment) Act, 2017

The Employee's Compensation Act, 1923 has been amended with the new Section 17 A requiring the Employer at the time of employment to inform employees of their rights under this Act in writing and in electronic form in English or in Hindu or in official language of the area of employment. General penalty under Section 18 (1) of the Act has been increased from five thousand rupees to fifty thousand rupees which may extend to one lakh rupees. In case of appeal under Section 30 (1) previously appeal would lie if the amount in dispute in the appeal was not less than three hundred rupees, now this has changed to ten thousand rupees or as Central Government may direct. With regards to withholding of certain payments pending decision of appeal, by Commissioner on direction of High Court under Section 30 A, this provision has now been omitted. The effective date of the Act will be notified by the Central Government in the near future

Central

Compulsory Submission Of Life Certificate/Digital Jeevan Pramaan By Pensioners To Continue Availing Of Benefits

As per recent EPFO circular dated 11 April 2017, the EPFO has made it mandatory for all pensioners of the EPS, 1995 who are desirous of continuing benefits of the said scheme to furnish their Jeevan Pramaan/ Life Certificate by 30.04.2017, wherein submission has to be made online and physical submission may be accepted only on valid grounds. The pensioners who have not submitted the Jeevan Pramaan/ Life Certificate either online or physically, such pension shall be stopped from the month of May 2017

Central

Scheme To Promote Registration Of Employers Or Employees (SPREE) Date Extended

ESIC had earlier released this Scheme on 20.12.2016 to extend social security benefits to all-eligible under the ESI Act and who had been kept out of ESI coverage could register anew between 20.12.2016 to 31.03.2017. Now as per a recent circular the scheme has been extended effective 01.04.2017 to 30.06.2017. Newly registered employers will be treated as covered from the date of registration or as declared by them. Whereas, newly registered employees will be treated as covered from their date of registration

Central

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 Effective Date Revised

Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment had earlier on 31st March, 2017 released a notification appointing the effective date for Section 3 sub-section (5) of 2017 Maternity amendment Act as 1st July 2017, that provision provided for work from home facility. However, as per this revised notification of corrigendum the provision of 2017 amendment Act being effected is changed from Section 3 sub-section (5) to Section 4 sub-section (1). Thus, it is the creche facility provision that will be effective from 1st July 2017 and not the work from home provision

Central

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 Effective Date Released

Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette has made changes to the Maternity Benefit Act under various sub-sections and provisions, Effective 1st April 2017 below mentioned changes shall come into force: (i) The maximum period for which any woman shall be entitled to maternity leave shall be twenty-six weeks of which not more than eight weeks shall precede the date of her expected delivery. (ii) The maximum period entitled to maternity benefit by a woman having two or more than two surviving children shall be twelve weeks of which not more than six weeks shall precede the date of her expected delivery. (iii) After availing maternity benefit the work from home facility may also be availed as per agreement between employer and woman employee (iv) All Establishments shall intimate in writing and electronically to every woman at the time of her initial appointment regarding every benefit available under the Act. (v) A woman who legally adopts a child below the age of three months or a commissioning mother shall be entitled to maternity benefit for a period of twelve weeks from the date the child is handed over to the adopting mother or the commissioning mother, as the case may be. (vi) Effective 1st July 2017, every establishment having fifty or more employees shall have the facility of creche within such distance as may be prescribed, either separately or along with common facilities

Central

Employees Enrolment Campaign, 2017 For Employers (Extended till June 2017)

The Ministry of Labour and Employment earlier had released an Employee Enrolment Campaign, 2017 to provide an opportunity to the employers to voluntarily come forward and declare details of all such employees who were entitled for PF membership between 01.04.2009 to 31.12.2016 but could not be enrolled for any reason. The date to opt for scheme has been extended from 31-03-2017 to 30-06-2017

Central

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017

Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette has made changes to the Maternity Benefit Act under various sub-sections and provisions, below mentioned are the key highlights: (i) The maximum period for which any woman shall be entitled to maternity leave shall be twenty-six weeks of which not more than eight weeks shall precede the date of her expected delivery. (ii) The maximum period entitled to maternity benefit by a woman having two or more than two surviving children shall be twelve weeks of which not more than six weeks shall precede the date of her expected delivery. (iii) Every establishment having fifty or more employees shall have the facility of creche within such distance as may be prescribed, either separately or along with common facilities. (iv) All Establishments shall intimate in writing and electronically to every woman at the time of her initial appointment regarding every benefit available under the Act. (v) A woman who legally adopts a child below the age of three months or a commissioning mother shall be entitled to maternity benefit for a period of twelve weeks from the date the child is handed over to the adopting mother or the commissioning mother, as the case may be. (vi) After availing maternity benefit the work from home facility may also be availed as per agreement between employer and woman employee Central Government shall by separate notification release the effective dates for some or all provisions or sub-sections of the Act

Central

The Rationalisation Of Forms And Reports Under Certain Labour Laws Rules, 2017

As per notification published in the official gazette by the Ministry of Labour and Employment dated 28th March 2017, various forms under the following rules Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Central Rules, 1971, The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Central Rules, 1980 and The Building and Other Construction Workers’ (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Central Rules, 1998 have been substituted. The changes under the mentioned rules have been in forms for registration and renewal among other important forms