A renewed discussion at the Federal National Council has placed UAE remote work for mothers firmly back on the national policy agenda. Lawmakers say flexible and remote work options for parents of young children are becoming essential, not optional, as the country looks to balance family well-being with workforce continuity.
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Federal National Council support for family-focused work policies
The proposal was put forward by FNC member Mariam Majid Bin Thania, who urged federal authorities to formally recognise remote and flexible work arrangements for mothers with children under the age of 10. Her submission falls under broader Federal National Council labor recommendations aimed at modernising public-sector employment.
“We affirm the importance of the mother’s presence alongside her children in the early stages of their lives, especially children with special needs and children under the age of ten,” Bin Thania stated during the session.
Several members observed that rigid schedules still dominate many workplaces, despite changing family dynamics. In reality, that rigidity often leaves working mothers weighing limited and difficult choices.
Remote and flexible work as a childcare support mechanism
During the session, remote work for mothers with children under 10 was discussed in plain, practical terms. Members referred to the everyday pressures many working parents quietly manage — school start times that clash with office hours, gaps in childcare, and the rush of early pickups that rarely make it onto meeting calendars. Against that backdrop, split schedules, partial work-from-home options, and role-based flexibility were presented as sensible ways to keep parents working, not special exceptions.
The conversation also turned to caregivers’ remote work in the UAE, with several members noting that families caring for children with special needs deal with responsibilities that don’t run on a fixed clock. For those households, they said, flexibility isn’t about comfort or convenience. It’s often the only way to make full-time work possible at all.
Alignment with national family protection and social stability goals
Lawmakers linked the proposal directly to broader family protection and social stability, UAE priorities already reflected in national policy. Allowing parents to remain employed while caring for young children, they said, helps maintain stable households and reduces the quiet loss of talent from the workforce.
There was a general agreement in the chamber that family-friendly policies are becoming closely tied to retention, especially for experienced women who often leave not by choice, but due to a lack of workable options.
Role of the Ministry of Family Affairs in the implementation
Oversight and coordination are expected to involve the Ministry of Community Development alongside the UAE’s broader family policy framework. This area falls within the responsibilities of Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, whose portfolio focuses on child welfare and family cohesion.
FNC members stressed that clear, unified federal guidelines would be essential. Without them, they cautioned, the policy could end up being applied unevenly across departments, weakening its overall impact.
Maternity leave extension and workforce retention impact
In parallel with flexible work arrangements, the council reiterated its recommendation for a maternity leave extension of 98 days for eligible federal employees. Members said longer leave, when paired with phased returns or hybrid work, could help prevent women from leaving the workforce altogether after childbirth.
From a workforce planning lens, these measures were framed as investments in retention, helping organisations keep experienced staff rather than continuously replacing them.
Priority groups identified under the proposed framework
Lawmakers outlined several priority groups for remote work UAE, focusing on mothers with children under 10, parents of children with special needs, and long-term family caregivers. Members noted that identifying these groups upfront would help ensure flexibility is applied fairly and consistently, rather than informally or selectively.
In some cases, members said mandatory flexible work arrangements in the UAE may be necessary to ensure consistency, rather than leaving decisions to individual supervisors.
Working from home provisions for special needs caregivers
Particular emphasis was placed on working from home for mothers of special needs children. MPs said the reality for many families is that medical appointments, therapy sessions, and care needs rarely follow a neat timetable. For parents in these situations, especially those caring for children with special needs, fixed office hours can quickly become unworkable.
They called on federal employers to recognise these arrangements as necessary workplace accommodations, rather than optional benefits granted case by case.
The FNC’s renewed focus on UAE remote work for mothers reflects a broader change in how family life is being weighed in employment policy discussions. If the proposals take shape, they could slowly reshape public-sector work culture, giving mothers more room to stay in their roles without feeling pushed to choose between their careers and caring for their families.
