Nursing Intervals at Work: Sri Lankan Employer Rules
New mothers get two paid nursing intervals in any 9-hour day until the child turns one: 30 minutes each with a crèche, one hour each without.
On this page
- Who the entitlement covers
- How long the entitlement lasts
- Crèche or no crèche: the difference it makes
- Is the interval paid, and does it count as working time?
- Recording intervals without making the mother clock in and out
- Do this automatically in Humanised
- Wages Board trades and the Maternity Benefits Ordinance
- Common mistakes
- What to keep as records
- Frequently asked questions
- Do part-time employees get the same nursing intervals?
- What about shift workers, including night shifts?
- Does working from home remove the entitlement?
- Is there a minimum size of employer for this to apply?
- Can the two intervals be combined into one longer break?
Under the Shop and Office Employees Act, a female employee with a child under one year is entitled to two paid nursing intervals. This applies in any nine-hour working day. If you provide a crèche (an on-site nursery), each interval is 30 minutes. If you do not, each interval is one hour. The intervals count as paid time. The entitlement runs until the child turns one. It does not matter how many children the employee has had.
Who the entitlement covers
Section 18I of the Act was added by the 2018 amendment. It covers every female shop and office employee with a child under one year old. It starts from the day she returns to work after maternity leave. It is not limited by rank, length of service, or number of children. The 2018 change also removed the old rule that cut maternity benefits from a third child onward. The nursing-interval entitlement is not restricted by the number of children either. Employees outside the Shop and Office Act, in Wages Board trades, are covered on the same basis. That cover comes from the Maternity Benefits Ordinance.
How long the entitlement lasts
The two intervals apply on every working day until the child turns one. There is no need to prove the need each day. There is no reduction as the child gets older within that first year. Once the child turns one, the statutory entitlement ends. Anything beyond that is a matter of company policy.
Crèche or no crèche: the difference it makes
| Employer provides a crèche | No crèche |
|---|---|
| Two intervals of 30 minutes each | Two intervals of 1 hour each |
| Intervals are for the mother to feed on site | Intervals cover travel time to feed or express milk off site |
| Same 9-hour spread applies | Same 9-hour spread applies |
Source: Shop and Office Employees Act s.18I, via leave entitlements in Sri Lanka.
The Act ties the shorter interval to an on-site crèche. The mother does not need to travel. Where there is no crèche, the full hour allows for travel. She may need to go home, to a nearby carer, or to a private space to express milk.
Is the interval paid, and does it count as working time?
Yes. The Act treats the interval as part of the paid working day. It is not unpaid leave. It is not a deduction from hours. Do not ask the employee to make the time up at the end of the shift. Do not treat it as late-coming or absence when working out attendance or overtime for that day.
Recording intervals without making the mother clock in and out
The Act does not set a recording method. It only sets the entitlement. Two approaches work. Block the two intervals on the roster or shift plan as a standing daily allowance, so they show up without a separate punch each time. Or let the employee take them flexibly within the day. Just note that they were taken, not the exact minute. Either way, do not single the employee out at the time clock. The entitlement should feel like a normal part of the working day, not something to justify.
Do this automatically in Humanised
A leave management system can hold nursing intervals as a short-leave type, with a daily hours limit.
Wages Board trades and the Maternity Benefits Ordinance
Some employees work in Wages Board trades: garment manufacture, tea and rubber estates, and others. They are not covered by the Shop and Office Employees Act directly. The Maternity Benefits Ordinance No. 32 of 1939, as amended, gives the equivalent protection for these employees. It works on a broadly similar basis to s.18I. Check the specific Wages Board decision for your trade. Some set out the interval arrangement in more detail. This can include combined breaks or a different split for shift work.
Common mistakes
- Cutting the interval or the pay for it because the employee “only feeds once” that day. The Act gives two intervals, not two conditional on need.
- Ending the entitlement when the mother is promoted, moves department, or comes back from a second maternity leave. None of these end it before the child’s first birthday.
- Requiring intervals to be taken back-to-back at a fixed time. The mother should be able to take them within the 9-hour spread as she needs them.
- Treating the interval as unpaid, or requiring it to be logged as leave.
What to keep as records
Keep a simple note in the leave or attendance system. Record which employees currently qualify, and the child’s date of birth. Note whether a crèche is provided, and confirm the roster reflects the interval. This is enough for a Labour Officer to see the entitlement is applied. It does not need to become a daily approval workflow.
This is general payroll guidance. Every case is different. For your own case, speak to a payroll practitioner or a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Do part-time employees get the same nursing intervals?
The Act does not scale the entitlement by hours worked. A part-time female employee with a child under one is entitled to the same two intervals, within whatever hours she works that day. The practical need may differ on a short shift.
What about shift workers, including night shifts?
The entitlement is defined by “any nine hours”, not by whether the shift is during the day. A night-shift employee with a child under one is entitled to the same two intervals during her shift.
Does working from home remove the entitlement?
No. The Act’s purpose is letting a mother feed her child. That does not disappear when the workplace is a home office. Only the practical form of the interval changes: uninterrupted time, not travel. Treat it the same way in policy.
Is there a minimum size of employer for this to apply?
No minimum headcount is set for this entitlement under the Shop and Office Employees Act.
Can the two intervals be combined into one longer break?
The Act sets two intervals within a nine-hour day. Combining them changes the pattern of relief through the day. If you want a different arrangement, agree it with the employee rather than impose it. Keep the total time at least the same.
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