“Do not bump into trouble at work!”
So says Labour Inspectors of the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development at their Nationwide Maternity Matters Clinic Talk sessions.
Who says talking about Maternity Matters at work can’t be interesting?
The Labour Inspectors from the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development quelled that notion as they jazzed up their sensitization on Maternity Matters at work by popping up at Maternity Clinics throughout Trinidad and Tobago and enacting an interactive skit to the attentive mothers. Thus far, the Inspectors have visited the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital, Scarborough Hospital, Scarborough Health Centre, Sangre Grande Hospital and Valencia Health Centre. Their next stop is the Port of Spain General Hospital on May 10, 2019.
At each clinic, two Labour Inspectors get into character and play the roles of two pregnant friends who ‘bounce up’ at the maternity clinic at which time they discuss, who is entitled to maternity leave, how to apply for maternity leave, when does a pregnant employee have to inform her employer of her maternal status, salary payments and much more related to matters under the Maternity Protection Act.
In addition, an entourage of Labour Inspectors would also blend in the Clinics, disguised as pregnant patients and they pose questions on various maternity matters during the question and answer segment of the presentation. The sessions conclude with the sharing of literature and paraphernalia and one on one talks with the actual pregnant patients.
To complement this activity, the Ministry embarked on a Social Media campaign where Info-Graphics depicting the information relayed at these sessions on Maternity Matters are shared on the Ministry’s online platforms i.e. its website, facebook, instagram and twitter pages. These platforms can be followed using @molsedtt.
Currently, Maternity Leave stands at 14 weeks in Trinidad and Tobago and each pregnant employee, whether employed at a Private or Public Organization, is entitled to this leave.
The Labour Inspectorate Unit monitors workspaces and advises employees and employers on Maternity Matters, inter alia, in the workplace. Labour Inspectors also conduct inspections upon reports from private and public workspaces to ensure that both employees and employers are exercising their rights and obligations according to the Maternity Protection Act.