Parent-Friendly Label Programme in UAE To Support Working Parents

On November 1, 2022, the Parent-friendly Label programme second cycle was introduced by the Early Childhood Authority’s (ECA) Chairman, H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. the programme enables organisations operating in the nation’s semi-governmental, private, and third sectors to be acknowledged for their responsibility toward an encouraging work culture and policy proposals for workers who are parents to kids aged between 0 and 8 years old. This is done in accordance with the President’s directives to strengthen the early childhood sector and offer the perfect opportunities for growth and prosperity for all young kids.

Programme For Parent-Friendly Labels UAE

A voluntary workplace award programme that provides a set of criteria that organisations in the private, semi-government, and third sectors can use to be recognised as a parent-friendly workplace by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and awarded a ‘Parent-friendly Label’ as a consequence. Parental leave, family care, flexible work, family well-being, and culture are the five categories covered by the label.

A number of major activities were used to thoroughly establish and validate the criteria and targets:

• • Collecting research and data from world-renowned organisations such as UNICEF, the OECD, and the International Labour Organisation, among others
  • Globally, 9 existing single and multi-award programmes in family friendliness are being reviewed
  • Comprehensive understanding of global leading practices from 16 nations, including the Nordics, and global leading organisations
  • Collaborating with the business sector and working closely with industry experts to ensure that market needs and expectations were met.

• Favouring Flexibility

According to earlier research, up to 90% of working full-time parents in the UAE seek flexible jobs that offer on-site, hybrid, and offsite or remote working options. Internationally, up to 71% of employees have shown a willingness to switch jobs to companies that provide greater opportunities.

As a result, the Parent-Friendly Label programme assesses the extent of parent-friendly policies adopted inside participating organisations, which are classified as flexible work, family wellbeing, parental leave, family care, and work environment.

How Can You Take Part in a Parent-Friendly Label Programme

Any company that implements a parental support policy is eligible to apply for the Parent-Friendly Label (PFL) in the new cycle. Either PFL (level 1), which encourages applicants to go further than what the law requires, or PFL+ (level 2), which aligns with or exceeds international best practises that are available to applicants. With a yearly check-in after the first year, the label is effective for two years. The programme for this year expands on the achievements of the first cycle, which was put in place at the level of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi. A number of prominent national organisations in the UAE actively participated in the design of the parent-friendly label, which was then improved based on feedback from first-cycle participants.

Who Receives a Parent-Friendly Label Programme Award

An assessment will be conducted to assess the extent to which applicants meet the necessary criteria. This is done by analysing the proofs, official documents, and the result of the parent-friendly experience survey that has been provided. To eliminate bias and maintain transparency, all applications will be evaluated by an unbiased third party. After this analysis, a judging panel comprising high-ranking officials from UAE government institutions will review the final list of qualified applicants and make a recommendation.

No matter what the result is, all applicants receive a personalised evaluation report that contains the overall result of the application, the main highlights, evaluator observations, areas of improvement, evaluator advice around points of opportunity, and the distinctive innovative practises and initiatives that stood out to the judges. Applicants also get a Certificate of Participation. Label recipients will get the parent-friendly label plaque to showcase in their workplaces, a letter of appreciation from the management, and recognition through social and traditional channels.

Allowances for parents of determined children are also valued. Applicants have the option to gain the PFL grade, which denotes that the implemented policies surpass the criteria of UAE labour legislation, or the PFL+ grade, which signifies that the implemented policies for full-time working parents meet or surpass the best practises globally. during the pandemic, the UAE witnessed a record-breaking degree of accessible remote working choices, and quite a few companies have continued to promote the option of remote or hybrid working for employees. The Labour Law provides paid maternity leave for 60 days and an extra 30 days of leave without pay for mothers. It also permits up to an hour of nursing breaks every day for the first six months following birth.

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