New back-to-school policy offers flexible working hours to federal government employees in first week of new academic year

Dubai: Federal government employees, who are parents of pre-school and kindergarten pupils, will have shorter working hours on the first day of the new academic year so that they can accompany their children to school.

The new back-to-school policy launched by the UAE Government in coordination with the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources grants ministries and federal government department the authority to grant employees — fathers and mothers — flexible working hours by allowing them to come late or leave early in the first week of the new school year.

The policy was launched following a recommendation by the National Happiness and Positivity Programme.

Uhoud Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Quality of Life, said:” The new policy reflects our keenness to strengthen the familys role and achieve a balance between social life and work.”

The policy will enable 28,000 parents working for the federal government to accompany their children, totalling more than 90,000, to school. More than 4,000 pre-school pupils, who are under the age of five, will also benefit.

The policy aims to allow children to adapt to the school environment, enhance family cohesion and ensure social stability. It also aims to scale up happiness and satisfaction rates among parents and school administrative and teaching staff.

Al Roumi who is also the director-general of the Prime Ministers Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, wished pupils and parents a happy school year filled with success and excellence.