Federal employees in the UAE have been granted flexible working hours as nurseries in the country closed temporarily in an effort to stay the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources issued a circular granting mothers working in UAE ministries and federal entities who have children in nurseries, flexible working hours, reported news agency, Wam, on Sunday.
Working mothers may arrive two hours late or leave two hours before they finish normal working hours to take care of their children registered at the nurseries and kindergartens which have been suspended for precautionary considerations under an earlier circular by the Ministry of Education.
According to the circular, the flexible working hours will be called off once nurseries are reopened. FAHR urged all departments to commit to the decision as long as it does not affect the workflow.
Authorities moved to impose restrictions on every school in the country after the total number of confirmed cases in the Emirates rose to 21 over the weekend, when two support staff in the country for the UAE Tour, a major cycling event, tested positive for Covid-19.
The final stages of the cycle tour were cancelled and a lockdown was put in place at two popular hotels in Yas Island, while hundreds of cyclists, support staff and journalists covering the event were tested for the respiratory illness.
On Saturday, Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, moved to reassure residents about the country’s ability to deal with an escalating outbreak, with the number of cases spiralling across the world.
