UAE: Remote work system for working mothers proposed

Some working mothers must be allowed to carry out their duties from home, a Federal National Council (FNC) member has proposed. Maryam Majid bin Thaniah said the option must be extended to working mothers with children aged under 10.

“Children aged under 10 years need their mother’s attention and care,” she said, as she made her proposal to Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi.

Others that could benefit from the remote work system option are mothers who care for children with special needs and those looking after elderly parents.

She also proposed a system where mothers could work in office in the first half of the day and remotely from home in the second.

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With the recent amendment to working hours in federal authorities, the burden on female employees who care for special groups has increased.

“What measures does the Federal Authority for Human Resources take into account the needs of this category of employees?” she asked the minister.

Bin Thaniah hopes to shed light on the difficulties working mothers face in balancing work with their unique family circumstances.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE managed to demonstrate exceptional adaptability because of its flexible legislative and administrative structure, positioning itself at the forefront of remote work implementation throughout the world.

In response to the proposal, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi highlighted the efforts made by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources to provide a flexible and suitable work environment for all employees, including working mothers caring for special groups. She emphasised several measures and regulations that support work flexibility, including part-time, temporary, flexible, and full-time employment patterns granted by Federal Decree Law No. (49) of 2022.

Al Roumi also mentioned the approval of a weekly work system reducing working days to four and a half days, granting the authority to regulate flexible working hours and remote work. She highlighted the issuance of Circular No. (2) of 2022, which allowed federal government employees to work remotely on Fridays, and the executive regulations of the Human Resources Law in the Federal Government, which included provisions supporting working mothers in terms of leave and accompanying a patient.

Furthermore, Al Roumi emphasised the remote work system for federal government employees approved by UAE Cabinet No. (27) of 2020, which provides flexibility and support without compromising employees' rights or work performance. She mentioned that the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has prepared a general framework for work flexibility, which will soon be launched for use by federal authorities.

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