law: Maternity Benefit Act,1961 
  6. Notice of claim for maternity benefit and payment
  
  thereof 
  (1) Any woman employed in an establishment and entitled to
  
  maternity benefit under the provisions of this Act may give notice in writing
  
  in such form as may be prescribed, to her employer, stating that her maternity
  
  benefit and any other amount to which she may be entitled under this Act may be
  
  paid to her or to such person as she may nominate in the notice and that she
  
  will not work in any establishment during the period for which she receives
  
  maternity benefit.
  (2) In the case of a woman who is pregnant, such notice shall
  
  state the date from which she will be absent from work, not being a date
  
  earlier than six weeks from the date of her expected delivery.
  (3) Any woman who has not given the notice when she was pregnant
  
  may give such notice as soon as possible after the delivery.
   4  [(4) On receipt of the notice, the employer shall permit
  
  such woman to absent herself from the establishment during the period for which
  
  she receives the maternity benefit.]
  (5) The amount of maternity benefit for the period preceding the
  
  date of her expected delivery shall be paid in advance by the employer to the
  
  woman on production of such proof as may be prescribed that the woman is
  
  pregnant, and the amount due for the subsequent period shall be paid by the
  
  employer to the woman within forty-eight hours of production of such proof as
  
  may be prescribed that the woman has been delivered of a child.
  (6) The failure to give notice under this section shall not
  
  disentitle a woman to maternity benefit or any other amount under this Act if
  
  she is otherwise entitled to such benefit or amount and in any such case an Inspector
  
  may either of his own motion or on an application made to him by the woman,
  
  order the payment of such benefit or amount within such period as may be
  
  specified in the order.