The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment has imposed a Rs500,000 fine on the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for unlawfully denying 30 days’ paternity leave to an employee following the birth of his child.
According to a press release on Monday, the Ombudsperson held the bank accountable for gender-based discrimination, noting that while maternity leave was granted to female employees under federal law, male employees were being denied their statutory paternity leave.
The complaint was filed by an officer of SBP Banking Services Corporation, whose request for 30 days’ paternity leave under the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act, 2023 was rejected on the grounds of “policy non-existence,” despite the law being in force. In its final order, the Ombudsperson said that denying paternity leave constitutes harassment through gender-based discrimination under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
The order rejected claims of institutional autonomy, highlighting that SBP is owned and supervised by the Federal Government, and its subsidiary cannot ignore federal welfare legislation.
The Rs500,000 fine includes Rs400,000 compensation to the complainant and Rs100,000 to the government exchequer. SBP has also been directed to grant the officer 30 days’ paternity leave on full pay and update its leave policy to comply fully with the law.
