The new law issued by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, increasing the duration of paid maternity leave to three months for women working in the public sector in Abu Dhabi, granting three days of paternity leave for fathers, as well as mandating two hours’ leave a day for mothers for one year — as compared to the previous one hour a day allowance — is a move that will bring much emotional cheer to female employees.
For women to be able to fully immerse themselves in the life-changing role of a new mother — which makes big demands on their physical, emotional and psychological reserves — they require sufficient time away from their jobs in which to address the issues effectively. A longer maternity leave affords them the opportunity to provide their babies with the utmost level of care and attention that they need, without being stressed about the paucity of time.
There is enough scientific evidence that inarguably establishes the importance of exclusive mother-care for newborns. The longer the period of this care, the better the all-round development of the baby is. For the mother too, having sufficient time to bond with her child and allowing her own self to return to post-partum normality are important. It gives her the chance to return to work in a fully-prepared frame of mind to tackle her responsibilities anew. For companies that weigh the possible pay-off in terms of extending maternity leaves, this should be the determining factor.
The fact is, strong maternity leave laws not only guarantee enhanced human resources performance, but they also are a predicator for societal well-being — a win-win situation that deserves a wider footprint in the UAE.
