Elderly parents care: 45-day paid leave for salaried employees proposed in Private Member’s Bill

A private member's bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha on March 13, 2026, has proposed 45 days of paid elderly wellness leave for salaried employees.

The bill, introduced by Sumitra Balmik, seeks to provide elderly care leave for employees on the lines of maternity and paternity leaves, and it is intended to apply to both private and government sector employees.

Further, the bill proposes that the 45-day leave should be allowed to employees only for attending critical caregiving needs of elderly parents, including parents-in-law, step-parents, and foster parents, such as major surgeries and serious illnesses requiring hospitalization and post-operative care, management of acute episodes of chronic diseases, end-of-life care and final rites, and critical health emergencies requiring immediate family presence.

While this private member's bill may not be enacted into law, it introduces an important concept whose relevance is set to grow manifold in view of the rising elderly population and children's inability to take care of their elderly parents due to job commitments. This article explains the key proposals in the private member's bill and the rationale behind it.

But first, let's understand what a private member's bill is.

What is a private member's bill?

A member of the parliament other than a minister is known as a private member. Any bill initiated by such a member is called a private member's bill.

Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha allocate a particular day of every week for the transaction of private members' bills.

Although private members' bills generally outnumber government bills, they constitute a very small proportion of the bills that eventually become law. For instance, according to a Rajya Sabha report, 459 private members' bills were introduced in the upper house of parliament over 10 years before June 2023, compared to 78 introduced by the government.

What are the key proposals in the Bill?

The following are the key proposals of the Sacred Bond (Parent Care Leave) Bill, 2026 introduced by Sumitra Balmik:

• Every employee shall be entitled to parent care leave up to 45 days during the entire period of service.

• This leave shall be allowed for attending to the medical, health and wellbeing needs of parents.

• The leave may be availed in one continuous stretch or in multiple spells

• It should be granted with full pay and allowances as admissible to the employee.

• It should not be debited against any other leave account.

An employee seeking the parent care leave should be allowed to apply along with medical certificates and hospital admission records, evidencing the need for such leave.

The bill says that in case of emergency, an employee may proceed on parent care leave without prior sanction, subject to submission of prescribed documents within seven working days from the commencement of such leave. The employer should dispose of the leave application within 48 hours of its receipt.

Any employer who, without sufficient cause, denies parent care leave to an eligible employee or subjects an employee to adverse action for availing such leave, shall be liable to a penalty ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.

What is the rationale behind this bill?

The private member bill's 'State of Objects and Reasons' presents some worrying data and trends around the need for elderly care:

As per United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), nearly 20 per cent of India's population, approximately 34 crore individuals, will be above the age of 60 years by 2050.

The exponential growth in the elderly population, coupled with increasing life expectancy now averaging 70.19 years (2018-2022), creates an urgent need for supportive social infrastructure.

The traditional joint family system, which historically served as the primary caregiving mechanism for elderly parents, has undergone significant erosion due to rapid urbanisation, economic migration, and changing social dynamics.

As per National Sample Survey Organization's (NSSO) 75th Round on Social Consumption: Health (2017-18), approximately 68%of India's working-age population (20-59 years) now lives away from their parental homes, primarily in pursuit of employment, education, or entrepreneurial opportunities.

Major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune have witnessed an influx of 15-20 million young professionals who maintain separate households from their parents.

The geographical separation, while economically beneficial, creates a critical gap in caregiving when elderly parents face medical emergencies, chronic illnesses, or general health deterioration.

As per research by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), approximately 42% of India's working population belongs to this sandwich generation, facing dual caregiving obligations that create severe emotional, financial and professional stress.

As per the NSSO's Household Social Consumption on Health Survey (2017-18), 56 per cent of sandwich generation employees report experiencing burnout, with women bearing a disproportionate burden.

The health profile of India's elderly population presents an alarming picture that necessitates regular physical presence and care from family members.

A study by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, found that 62% of working professionals reported experiencing severe emotional distress and guilt from being unable to be physically present with their parents during medical crises.

International norms

According to the Bill, countries facing similar demographic transitions have enacted the following progressive parent care leave provisions.

• New Zealand provides ten days of paid leave for caring for sick family members including parents;

• The United Kingdom offers unpaid parental leave and time off for dependents including elderly parents

• Belgium grants 'time credit' schemes allowing employees to reduce working hours to care for aged parents

• Canada's Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit provides 26 weeks of leave to care for gravely ill family members.

"Urbanisation and employment have forced many youth to live away from their parents. Physical presence of children is essential for elderly care and for the success of the silver economy. Therefore, I urge the Government to introduce a 45-day paid Elderly Wellness Leave, on the lines of maternity and paternity leave, in both public and private sectors for parents above 60 years suffering from serious illness," she added.