Sharjah approves new employee leave policy

Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has approved a new leave policy in the Sharjah government called “Care Leave.”

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This leave is granted to female employees who give birth to a sick child or a child with disabilities requiring constant care and companionship. The leave begins after the end of maternity leave and may be extended with the approval of the relevant authority, a WAM report said.

The announcement was made by Abdullah Ibrahim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Human Resources, during a phone call on the “Direct Line” programme broadcast on Sharjah Radio and Television, hosted by Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority.

Under the new policy, a female employee who gives birth to a child with a medical condition or disability requiring constant care will be eligible for fully paid care leave following maternity leave. The key provisions include:

1. A medical report must be submitted from an authorised medical body
2. The care leave will last one year with full pay after maternity leave ends
3. The leave may be extended annually for up to three years with the relevant authority’s approval and a supporting medical report
4. Should the child’s health improve, the authority may terminate the leave based on medical recommendations
5. Employee performance during care leave will be evaluated under the existing performance management framework
6. If the leave exceeds three years, the case will be referred to the Higher Committee for Human Resources
7. The care leave will be counted as part of the employee’s total service