Monday 16 Mar 2026
April 21, 2021: A child captured as the sun sets on a day in Ramadan. (Sun File Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has officially ratified an amendment to the Employment Act, extending the duration of paid nursing breaks for female employees from one year to two years post-childbirth. The legislative update, which received unanimous support from 62 members of Parliament, maintains the existing provision of two 30-minute paid breaks daily. While the government rejected proposals to extend individual break times to 45 minutes, the passage of this bill signifies a sustained commitment to parental support. Furthermore, the act formally designates Labor Day as a public holiday and empowers the Cabinet to grant small and medium-sized enterprises specific exemptions from mandatory quota fees.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday ratified an amendment to the Employment Act that extends paid nursing breaks for female employees from one year to two years.
Under the previous version of the law, female employees were entitled to 30 minutes of paid break twice a day for one year after childbirth. The amendment, submitted on behalf of the government by PNC MP Mohamed Shameez, extends this entitlement to two years.
Parliament passed the bill on Sunday with the unanimous support of 62 members.
During the debate, Thoddoo MP Hussain Sameer (MDP) proposed increasing each break from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, but the PNC‑majority parliament voted down the amendment.
The government’s bill also designates Labor Day as an official public holiday. In addition, the amendment allows the Cabinet to exempt certain small and medium‑sized businesses from paying quota fees required under the Act.
The previous MDP administration had introduced six months of paid maternity leave, doubling the earlier entitlement of three months.
