98 days paid maternity leave comes to UAE

The paid maternity leave in Atkins and Faithful+Gould, its subsidiary company, in the UAE has been doubled.

“Previously, our standards were in accordance to the labour laws in each Gulf Cooperation Council country, which in the UAE is 45 calendar days (just over six weeks). Optional unpaid leave thereafter was up to 100 days. Now we’re going above and beyond the Labour Law to offer 14 weeks (98 days) and up to 6 months (182 days) unpaid leave thereafter,” the company said in a statement sent to Emirates 24|7.

The new policy, spearheaded by the Middle East Women's Business Network (WBN), established by the two companies, was aimed to develop a corporate environment that will better enable women to achieve long-term careers in the industry.

Simon Moon, chief executive officer for Atkins Middle East, said: "We're determined to create a truly diverse working environment where there are no constraints for talent to succeed.

"Historically maternity benefits in the region have given little flexibility about how or when new mothers will return to their jobs, so many feel there is little choice but to leave work altogether. This represents a needless loss of their skills and expertise, which we're pleased to address through our new maternity policy."

Female employees will also have the option of taking paid ‘Keeping in Touch’ days to remain in contact with their teams.

Kathleen McGrail, programme director for Atkins Acuity and chairperson of the WBN, said: "This is a major milestone for the business which will make a very tangible difference to the lives of our female employees and their families. Our aspiration to become an employer of choice for women is turning into reality, giving us a significant advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining female talent in the industry."

In 2015, MediaCom announced a six-month maternity leave agreement, while Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) granted 60-day materity leave to expatriate mothers working in the emirate in 2014.

# Maternity leave law in UAE

In the UAE, the number of days for maternity leave varies between the private sector, government and companies in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

As mentioned above, the UAE offers 45 days of maternity leave with full pay, including days used before birth. Thereafter, the mother is then entitled to be absent from work for 100 days (without pay) on the expiration of her leave.

The public sector maternity leave allowance is 60 days with full pay initially and with a further allowance of 100 days of unremunerated leave thereafter. Within the DIFC, minimum maternity leave as due to female employees is 65 working days (excluding the weekends).
The DIFC maternity leave entails 33 days on full pay and 32 days on half-pay.

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