Maternity and Work
Maternity Leave
Labour Relation Act provides maternity leave upon production of a medical certificate. Female employees are granted maternity leave for a period of 98 days on full pay. A female employee may proceed on maternity leave not earlier than the forty-fifth day and not later than the twenty-first day prior to the expected date of delivery.
Paid maternity leave is granted only once during any period of twenty-four months calculated from the day any previous maternity leave was granted. Law also limits the number of times (to three only) when maternity leave can be availed by a worker while working with a specific employer.
The 2023 reform removed the one-year continuous-service requirement and the “every 24 months / maximum three times” limitations, so that any pregnant employee is entitled to at least 14 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave regardless of service length or number of pregnancies with the same employer. The amendment mainly abolished the previous restrictive qualifying conditions.
Source: §18 of the Labour Act 1985
Income
Maternity leave is awarded with full pay to the woman worker who must have served an enterprise for at least 12 months prior to availing the maternity leave.
The employee is eligible for maternity benefits thrice with the same employer and only once during a 24-month period calculated from the day the previous maternity leave was approved.
Source: §18 of the Labour Act 1985; ISSA Country Profile Zimbabwe
Free Medical Care
No statutory pregnancy-related medical benefits are identified. A general health care program exists for low-paid workers to provide free primary health care. Rural areas are served by the Government and mission hospitals and urban areas are served by the government and private hospitals.
Source: ISSA Country Profile for Zimbabwe
Regulations on Maternity and Work
- Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment) Act, 2013
Maternity Leave
Labour Relation Act provides maternity leave upon production of a medical certificate. Female employees are granted maternity leave for a period of 98 days on full pay. A female employee may proceed on maternity leave not earlier than the forty-fifth day and not later than the twenty-first day prior to the expected date of delivery.
Paid maternity leave is granted only once during any period of twenty-four months calculated from the day any previous maternity leave was granted. Law also limits the number of times (to three only) when maternity leave can be availed by a worker while working with a specific employer.
The 2023 reform removed the one-year continuous-service requirement and the “every 24 months / maximum three times” limitations, so that any pregnant employee is entitled to at least 14 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave regardless of service length or number of pregnancies with the same employer. The amendment mainly abolished the previous restrictive qualifying conditions.
Source: §18 of the Labour Act 1985
Income
Maternity leave is awarded with full pay to the woman worker who must have served an enterprise for at least 12 months prior to availing the maternity leave.
The employee is eligible for maternity benefits thrice with the same employer and only once during a 24-month period calculated from the day the previous maternity leave was approved.
Source: §18 of the Labour Act 1985; ISSA Country Profile Zimbabwe
Free Medical Care
No statutory pregnancy-related medical benefits are identified. A general health care program exists for low-paid workers to provide free primary health care. Rural areas are served by the Government and mission hospitals and urban areas are served by the government and private hospitals.
Source: ISSA Country Profile for Zimbabwe
Regulations on Maternity and Work
- Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment) Act, 2013
