For Emirati mother Haleema Abdulla, the first day of school is a significant event, as it can set the tone for her children's day. It's a 'milestone moment' she wouldn't want to miss. When the authorities announced a flexible-work policy for government employees, she was grateful. 'I have two children attending two different schools. The three-hour period is a big help as it will give me extra time to drop off my first-grade daughter and help her feel comfortable,' said Haleema, who works at the Ministry of Education.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) has granted public sector employees flexible work hours for the first day of school to pick up and drop off their children to their campuses. This scheme will also apply to important events throughout the school year, such as parent-teacher meetings and graduation ceremonies. The period of flexibility will not exceed three hours and can be taken at one time or divided into morning and evening periods. Those with kids in nursery and kindergarten can avail of this flexibility for the entire first week of the academic year.
Hussain Mohammed, who works at a local government organisation in Dubai, has already planned his day. 'I always take my daughter to school on her first day since she is my only child, and I want to support her. I'm not worried because my workplace gives me nine hours of leave each month,' he said.
Although the scheme doesn't apply to private companies, some firms in the private sector are also allowing flexibility for their employees. Emirati mother Huda A., who works at a real estate company, was able to request flexible hours from her boss. 'But I have to make up for the time I will spend away from work,' she said. 'I have two daughters attending different schools, and I must drop them off. They will return home by bus in the afternoon,' she added.
Winnie Agat, an Indian mother, had already informed her employer that she may start work later than usual. 'I need to drop off my daughter at 7.30am, but my work starts at 8am, so it’s fine. The situation is trickier with my son in kindergarten where parents need to stay for an hour and a half in the classroom. After that, I'll need to drop him home before heading to work, which will take about three hours,' she said.
Some working parents have to make other adjustments, especially with multiple children starting school on different days. Maryam H., an Emirati working in the private sector, said: 'I have two daughters starting on different days this week. One starts on Monday, and the other starts on Wednesday. I spoke with my manager and will come into the office late on Wednesday after dropping off my daughter.' She added: 'My husband works for a local government in Dubai and has flexible hours; he will take our daughter to school on Monday. This way, we don't have to take leave.'
