Dubai: One of UAE’s biggest banks, Emirates NBD is doubling the maternity leave in a bid to attract more women to its workforce, especially UAE Nationals wanting to switch from public sector jobs.
Mothers can now take four months of maternity leave - including 60 days of full pay, 30 days of half pay and 30 days of unpaid leave. Both mothers and fathers can take an additional, fully-paid week of parental leave.
The paternity leave has increased from two days to five, in line with recent legislative changes. In addition, a new adoption leave policy gives Emirates NBD Group’s adoptive parents leave.
“This is just the beginning of our focus on providing employees with more flexibility and work-life balance. We will make another announcement shortly to unveil a second, major initiative based on how millennial Emiratis have told us they want to work,” said Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Emirates NBD Group. “While these benefits are available to all employees, we are specifically targeting more female Emiratis based on the feedback we have received from them about wanting more time at home during the most important phases of their lives.”
Maternity leave
According to Article 30 of the UAE Labour Law, a woman working in the private sector in the UAE is entitled to a paid maternity leave of 45 days, including the time before and after delivery. If the woman has completed one year of continuous employment for the same employer, she is entitled to full pay during maternity leave. However, if you have been working for an employer for less than one year, you are entitled to 45 days of leave at half-pay.
2020 amendment
The 2020 amendment to the UAE Labour Law granted an additional five days of paid parental leave to women as well, which can be taken at any time within the first six months of the baby’s birth. These are working days, and may be spread out, as long as they are taken within the first six months of the birth. These five paid working days of parental leave are in addition to the paid maternity leave allowance of 45 calendar days. This effectively means women are entitled to 50 days of paid leave after having a baby.
