Karnataka extends one-day paid menstrual leave to government employees

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, December 4, 2025: The Karnataka government has now extended the provision of one day of paid menstrual leave per month to women employed in the government sector as well.

Last month, the state issued an order mandating one paid menstrual leave day every month for women aged 18 to 52 working in permanent, contractual, and outsourced positions. This rule applies to all women employed in industries and establishments registered under the Factories Act, 1948; Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961; Plantation Workers Act, 1951; Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966; and Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961.

On December 2, the government issued a fresh order extending the same benefit to women working in state government departments, effective immediately. Women government employees aged 18 to 52 who experience menstruation are eligible for this leave.

The order states that the authority empowered to grant casual leave may also sanction menstrual leave, and no medical certificate is required. The leave must be recorded separately in the attendance or leave register and cannot be clubbed with any other category of leave.

The Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA) had recently challenged the government’s earlier directive before the Karnataka High Court, arguing that the mandate was discriminatory. The association pointed out that the government itself had not implemented menstrual leave for its own female employees, despite being one of the largest employers of women in the state.

The latest order addresses this concern by ensuring the policy uniformly applies across both private and government sectors.