The Jammu and Kashmir Health Department’s recent order denying pay and allowances to employees on maternity or paternity leave represents a shocking regression in workers’ rights and gender equality. This punitive directive, which claims staff are “not executing their assignment” during legally sanctioned leave, not only violates fundamental ethical principles but also undermines decades of progress in protecting women’s rights in the workplace. The order is particularly egregious, coming from the healthcare sector, an institution meant to champion wellbeing. To suggest that maternity leave is a period of inactivity rather than essential recovery and childcare is both medically ignorant and socially regressive. This move disproportionately affects women doctors, forcing them to choose between financial stability and starting a family, effectively penalising them for motherhood. The department’s contradictory stance of granting leave but withholding pay creates a dangerous precedent that could extend to other essential leave types. It reflects a disturbing mindset that values employees only for their immediate productivity while disregarding their fundamental rights and dignity. As rightly pointed out by doctors, this violates both the spirit of labour laws and constitutional guarantees of gender equality. This decision comes at a time when healthcare systems globally are struggling to retain qualified professionals. Such punitive measures will only accelerate brain drain and demoralise an already overburdened workforce. The Resident Doctors Association’s condemnation highlights how this move threatens the very foundation of doctor welfare and patient care. The administration must immediately withdraw this discriminatory order and reinstate full pay and allowances during maternity leave. A society’s progress is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable, including new parents. By reversing this decision, the government can demonstrate that it values both its healthcare workers and the fundamental principles of justice and equality that form the bedrock of our democracy.
