The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has sent a notice to the State Bank of India (SBI) over its new guidelines for pregnant employees. SBI, in its new guidelines, disallows women who are pregnant for over three months, to continue with their job calling them "temporarily unfit".
DCW's chairperson Swati Maliwal tweeted about it saying that the move is "both discriminatory and illegal" as it might affect the maternity benefits.
"State Bank of India seems to have issued guidelines preventing women who are over 3 months pregnant from joining service and have termed them as 'temporarily unfit'. This is both discriminatory and illegal. We have issued a notice to them seeking withdrawal of this anti-women rule," Ms Maliwal tweeted.
"The circular states that she will be considered temporarily unfit and she may be allowed to join within four months after delivery of child," the DCW said.
"The bank seems to have framed rules which state that if a woman candidate is three months pregnant, then she would be considered as temporarily unfit and would not be given immediate joining upon her selection. This is a very serious matter. This action of the bank appears to be discriminatory and illegal as it's contrary to maternity benefits provided under the Code of Social Security, 2020," the DCW said in its notice.
The SBI has been asked to reply on the matter by Tuesday.