Parents can adjust work start and end times by up to three hours on the first day of school.
Abu Dhabi: Federal government employees in the UAE will be allowed to adjust their working hours as children return to school, under a back-to-school policy aimed at giving parents greater flexibility at the start of the new academic year.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources said employees with children in primary school and above may start work later or leave earlier on their child’s first day of school, allowing them to accompany their children to or from school or home.
The flexibility granted on the first school day is capped at three hours and will be subject to each federal entity’s applicable systems and the approval of the employee’s direct manager.
The policy also recognises that school start dates may vary depending on the curriculum followed by each institution.
Employees with children enrolled in nurseries or kindergartens will be allowed flexible start and finish times throughout the first week of the new academic year.
The total flexible working time available during the first week is capped at three hours, according to the authority. The arrangement will depend on the nursery or kindergarten’s start date and will require approval in line with the employee’s workplace regulations.
The measures are part of the UAE Cabinet-approved Back to School Policy, which has been circulated to ministries and federal government entities to help employees support their children as the new academic year begins.
Flexibility for school events
The policy also extends beyond the first days of the academic year.
Federal entities may introduce internal procedures allowing employees up to three hours of authorised absence to attend parent-teacher meetings at their children’s schools.
Employees may also be granted up to three hours of authorised absence to attend their children’s graduation ceremonies, school events and other activities.
Such arrangements must not affect the operations of federal government entities and must comply with the UAE’s federal human resources laws and regulations.
The authority said it would continue to support federal entities in implementing the policy.
