Pregnancy, maternity leave can’t be grounds for demotion at work, says Delhi High Court
A Delhi High Court ruling has confirmed that pregnancy and maternity leave cannot be grounds for demotion or loss of professional status in the workplace. In a case involving chartered accountant Rakhi Bisht, the court ruled that a private company must reinstate a woman to her previous role or provide an equivalent position after maternity leave.
Bisht, who had worked at HashiCorp for 14 years before taking maternity leave in 2023, found her role reassigned to a lower-level position in the treasury department. The court emphasized that such actions violate constitutional principles of equality, dignity, social justice, and humane working conditions. HashiCorp was ordered to pay Bisht Rs 10 lakh in compensation and to develop strict anti-discrimination guidelines for private companies within six months.
The court also directed the company to provide lactation support, crèche facilities, and establish grievance resolution timelines, all within the same six-month period.
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