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The High Court stays the State’s notification mandating one-day menstrual leave for women workers after industry bodies challenge the government’s powers.
The High Court of Karnataka has put an interim halt to the State government’s notification mandating one additional day of menstrual leave per month for women employees aged 18 to 52.
The stay was issued on December 9, 2025, by Justice Jyoti M. while hearing separate petitions filed by the Bangalore Hotels’ Association and Avirata AFL Connectivity Systems Ltd., Bengaluru. The petitioners sought the quashing of the government’s November 20 notification introducing the “Menstrual Leave Policy 2025.”
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The petitioners argued that no labour statute currently allows menstrual leave, and therefore, the State government lacked the legal power to introduce an additional mandatory leave through an executive notification.
They also told the court that the government implemented the policy without consulting industry bodies or establishments, despite the significant operational implications across sectors.
What the policy mandated
The notified policy required establishments registered under:
– Factories Act, 1948
– Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961
– Plantation Labour Act, 1951
– Beedi and Cigar Workers Act, 1966
– Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961
to grant one day of menstrual leave every month to eligible women employees.
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The notification also specified that:
• The leave must be used within the same month, with no carryover permitted.
• No medical certificate would be required to avail the leave.
After reviewing the arguments, the High Court granted an interim stay, preventing the enforcement of the new rule until the petitions are fully heard.
With the stay in place, the State government will now have to defend the legal validity of introducing monthly paid menstrual leave through executive powers.
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