There is nothing more joyous in life than becoming a parent. One of the most important and beautiful responsibilities of welcoming the newborn in life, caring for and guiding throughout. The government of the United Arab Emirates has restructured its legal structure to increase the count of paid paternity leave allocated for male employees working in the private sector.

Here is all the information about the paternity leave and its importance and benefits. The all-new rules aim to improve the requirements of private-sector workers in Dubai and the UAE. The new rules will allow the employees to provide much-needed early care and attention to their child.

Benefits of Paid Paternity Leave in the UAE

Before releasing the new rules only the workers in the public sector were allowed to take 3 days of paid paternity leave after the birth of a child. However, the male employees working in the private sector were not allocated any paid paternity leave and its benefits. Only some of the businesses by choice have provided such benefits to their employees.

The restructuring of Paternity leave has strengthened the leave system for fathers across all sectors. The paid paternity leave rules which were more regional at the beginning, now are the most important initiative toward gender equality and empowerment of the employee. The new rule is to allow the new fathers to get precious time to spend with the newborn and provide the required help to the new mothers.

With the intention of ensuring the new fathers avail the paid leaves they have all the legal rights of, it is equally important for the global employers and staff associates in the United Arab Emirates to be aware of the paternity leave rights they have.

 

The Rights of Paternity Leave in the UAE

Let’s have a look at the paternity law in UAE available for employees in the UAE.

Legal Paternity Law in the UAE:

In the year 2020, the federal government in UAE approved Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2020 including a new Article for the UAE Labour Law  (Federal Law No. (8) of 1980) to mandate parental leave in the United Arab Emirates for the private sector.

Parental leave is applicable for both male and female employees working in the private sector in the UAE. The same rule is not applicable to those who work under Dubai International Financial Centre and Global Market, Abu Dhabi, which are completely free zones and have their own sets of employment laws, rules, and regulations.

Paternity leave is the legal right for all new fathers in the UAE. However, the employees will lose the eligibility criteria in case the waiting duration is more than 6 months before they apply for it.

 

Duration of Parental or Paternity Leave in the UAE

The duration of paternity leave in the United Arab Emirates for new fathers is 5 days. The employees are allowed to apply for 5 working days of parental leave with full pay.

Thus, they can apply for leave in any order, and anytime between the first six months after the birth of the child.

The companies with employees in the United Arab Emirates might face a situation where the staff members might ask for a longer period of leave or some additional support. There are some minimal standards to follow in the UAE labor legislation.

 

Offer a Long Duration of Leave:

While welcoming the new member to the family, and adjusting a week’s time is not efficient. Additionally, it allows the new fathers to provide a helping hand to the new mothers, and encourage them to achieve their goals while keeping the perfect balance between work life and personal life. In such scenarios, an employer can think of providing some extra parental leave to the employees. By adding a few more leave the employer can become a respectable employer, as well as there will be more productivity,  well-being, and good staff control.

 

Enlight the Employees about the Leave Policies:

Employers must communicate to all employees about the parental leave policy. Additionally in this way, the employer can ensure that all the employees are aware of their rights at the workplace. The employee handbook must include a separate section and describe the Paternity leave policies in detail without failing.

 

More Additional Support:

When an employee is on parental leave, an employer can add some more facilities to help them. As additional support, the employer can provide some tools required for a new father, work from a work-from-home facility, or have a flexible work schedule in the office after returning to work.

 

A Guide to Apply for Paternity Leave in UAE

As a parent, the male employees can apply for paternity leave as soon as the after birth of the baby. To apply for the leave the employees must follow simple steps:

  • Creation of a well-planned leave schedule that the employee will cover during the period.
  • The employees must know about the planned leave schedule.
  • Other colleagues working together must be aware of the leave.
  • The employee must come back and join the office once the duration of leave ends.

 

Eligibility Criteria of Parental Leave in the UAE

All male employees have the lawful right to get parental leave in UAE. If they wait and cross six months, that employee will be no longer eligible to get the leave.

 

  • Benefits of Paternity Leave in UAE:

During the paternity leave the employee will get 5 days’ leave with full pay, which can they apply whenever after the birth of the child within 6 months.

  • Paternity Leave Rules for Multiple Child Birth:

The 5 days of paternity leave will remain the same, regardless of the number of child expected by the the employee.

 

  • Verification for Paternity Leave Eligibility:

The employees are not required to provide any mandatory documentation for the verification process, such as medical certificates. Although the organization can follow its own procedure to ensure the eligibility of the employee.