Maternity Rights as an Employee in the UAE

Being a mother is an important moment in every women’s life. However, if you’re working in the UAE and expecting to deliver a baby very soon, you should start to consider using your maternity or paternity leave to prepare for the upcoming birth of your child.

The maternity rights in the UAE can be confusing and intimidating for some people. That’s why in this article we wrote a bunch of things you should know about your maternity rights in the UAE.

Read:  UAE Labour Law

A List of Things You Should Know About Your Maternity Rights in the UAE

Your rights as an expectant mother in the UAE are the following:

• Full Pay would be entitled to your gross salary.

If you’re on maternity leave, you will receive a full pay that is entitled to your gross salary. This includes your salary and other allowances. However, if you are not employed for over a year, then you are entitled to half-pay in your gross pay with other benefits.

• Weekends are included in your maternity leave.

In the UAE the maximum amount of days given to a private-sector employee is 45 days with a full salary, this is to comply if they have continuously worked for over a year in the UAE. However, these days are not counted as working days, but they are calendar days, which means that weekends are included in your maternity leave.

• You have the right to extend your maternity leave.

Yes, the maximum amount of days you can file a maternity leave is 45 days, but you have the right to extend it for a maximum of 100 days. However, these extensions are unpaid even if you presented a valid medical document that states you have suffered from illnesses caused by pregnancy or birth.

• You can use your maternity leave after or before giving birth.

You can file your maternity leave before or right after giving birth to your child. You can rest and relax before delivering your baby, but this would use all the maternity days that can cause you not having much time to spend with your baby.

• Your employer can change your role/job.

Your employer has the right to change your role as an employee during your maternity leave. However, they cannot decrease your salary on your return.

• You can use sick leave, instead of your maternity leave.

The UAE’s Labour Law states that every employee is entitled to sick leave for a maximum of 90 days. This can be both consecutive days or non-consecutive. However, you’ll need to provide all the valid documents that state you’re sick and can’t report to work. This would also give you a chance to file your maternity leave after birth, giving you more ample time to spend with your newly-born. Sick leave also entitles certain benefits to employees such as:

• First two weeks (15 days) are qualified with full pay.
• The next thirty days are half-pay
• Before 45 days, all other days are not paid.

These are some of the rights you need to know before filing a maternity leave. Having this in mind can help you relax and have ample time to decide a name for your future child.