Longer leave for mothers is overdue

The creation of a committee to review maternity law is a step in the right direction

One-day-old baby Majed Hamad Ali Balushi, who was born at 5:50am on December 2, 2012, as one of the first babies born on the National Day in the Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova / The NationalShow less

Empowering women by encouraging them to join the workforce is a long-standing national priority. Women already make up a significant percentage of workers in the public sector but there is still room for improvement. One clear path to getting more women working is by changing federal maternity leave laws to give new mothers more time with their babies and improve workplace facilities for nursing mother.

The creation of a committee, established on the direction of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, demonstrates that the Government understands the importance of new maternity legislation for the long-term growth of the economy.

Federal law currently states that new mothers receive 45 days of paid leave after they have worked at a company for a certain amount of time. In Dubai, some companies are offering up to 65 days of leave for new mothers in the hope of creating happier, more productive workspaces.

As this paper has argued in the past, retaining workers by offering them better benefits, including longer maternity leave, is one of the best strategies for business to stay ahead of the curve in uncertain economic times. Hiring replacement employees necessitates a loss of workplace experience that can take long amounts of time to recapture. Improving facilities for breastfeeding mothers that are private and relaxing will also go a long way to helping retain new mothers in the workforce.

There are precedents for offering new mothers additional time to be with their families. The Government is generous in the number of days that the public sector receives in annual holidays. When it comes to national service, jobs are held open for employees called up for duty. Applying a similar approach to maternity leave would result in a stronger workforce and better retention rates for businesses across the public and private sector.

Just as Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who directed the establishment of the new committee, said, reviewing and updating the maternity law will create a better environment for working women. Indeed, a better environment for women will improve the work landscape as a whole.