Merge 104.8 | 31 August 2020
The United Arab Emirates has announced a new ruling that will see male employees working in the private sector entitled to five days of paid parental leave.
As The National reports, under the new order employees are eligible to avail the paid parental leave days within six months of the birth of their child.
To date, the UAE had not made it a requisite for organizations in the private sector to grant parental leave to male employees. Rather, it was up to the individual company to determine on a discretionary basis. The move marks a first for the private sector in the region.
The new ruling also accommodates female staff who are now eligible to receive an extra five days of paid parental leave in addition to the 45 days allotted to private sector female employees who have worked for a minimum of one year with their company.
As The National clarifies in its report, the new law does not indicate if the new ruling also applies to public sector staff. Currently, in the UAE, male public sector employees may take up to three days parental leave, while female public sector employees are eligible for up to 90 days of paid parental leave.
Source: The National