Ask Louise – Maternity Laws
I’m Pregnant with 20 weeks and lately my boss fired some colleagues, I’m afraid to be in the next cut list of the company, is there any law that protects me from been fired since I’m pregnant? Or it doesn’t matter here in Dubai?
Unfortunately, there is no law in the UAE that protects a pregnant women against unfair dismissal.
Please find below article stipulated at the UAE Labour law in regards to pregnant women for reference
As per the Federal Labour Law UAE Article (30), a working women is entitled to maternity leave with full pay for a period of forty five days (45 Days) including the time before and after delivery, provided that her continuous period of service with the employer is not be less than a year (1 year). But if a working woman has not completed the said period, the maternity leave shall be with half pay.
A working woman, on the expiry of the maternity leave, may discontinue to work without pay for a maximum period of one hundred(100) consecutive or intermittent days if such absence is due to illness which doesn’t enable her to resume work. Such evidence shall be evidenced by a medical certificate issued by a medical authority attested by the competent health authority or endorsed by such authorities to the effect that the illness resulted from pregnancy or delivery.
Leave provided for in the preceding two paragraphs shall not compute as part of other leaves.
As per the Article (31), in addition to any prescribed rest period, a working woman nursing her child shall, during the eighteen months following the date of delivery , be entitled to two additional breaks each day for this purpose , neither of which shall exceed half an hour (30 minutes each).
These two additional periods shall be considered as working hours and shall not cause any reduction of remuneration.