• Mothers of triplets or more will be entitled to 168 days
• Mothers of twins will receive 126 working days of full-pay maternity leave

Female public sector employees giving birth to twins will soon be entitled to an additional 42 Government working days of full-pay maternity leave, while those giving birth to triplets or more will receive an additional 84 working days, under the latest amendments to the Establishments Code approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.The amendments to Section 18 of Chapter XII, Volume I of the Establishments Code provide enhanced maternity leave entitlements in recognition of the additional physical, psychological and financial demands faced by mothers of multiple births.

Under the revised provisions, female public servants giving birth to twins will receive a total of 126 Government working days of full-pay maternity leave, while those giving birth to triplets or more will be entitled to 168 working days of full-pay leave. The Cabinet has approved the memorandum submitted by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Prof. A. H. M. H. Abayarathna, and directed the issuance of a Public Administration Circular to implement the revised provisions across the public service.Under the existing Establishments Code provisions, female Government employees are entitled to 84 days of full-pay maternity leave, followed by 84 days of half-pay leave and a further 84 days of no-pay leave for every live birth.The proposed changes recognise that these standard entitlements may not adequately address the needs of mothers delivering multiple babies, who may face premature births, prolonged hospitalisation and greater physical and mental strain during the postnatal period. The Cabinet memorandum also identified the increasing prevalence of multiple births associated with sub fertility treatments, both locally and overseas, as a factor contributing to the need for revised maternity leave provisions.

Under the approved amendments, mothers of twins will be entitled to 42 days of half-pay leave following the completion of their full-pay maternity leave. Those giving birth to triplets or more will receive 84 days of half-pay leave.The provisions also allow mothers of twins to request up to 84 days of no-pay maternity leave. However, no additional no-pay maternity leave will be granted to mothers of triplets or higher-order multiples under the revised scheme, in view of the extended paid leave provided.The amendments also address situations in which a child or children die at birth or during the maternity leave period. In such cases, the total leave entitlement will be adjusted according to the number of surviving children.The memorandum highlighted the additional challenges faced by mothers of multiple births, including the need for specialised medical care, medicines, equipment and dietary requirements, alongside the demands of caring for several infants simultaneously.

The revised provisions seek to provide greater support to female public sector employees during the postnatal period while formally recognising the additional care required following multiple births. The amendments will be implemented through a Public Administration Circular following the Cabinet’s approval.