Dubai Chamber Encourages Dubai Companies to Apply for the Parent-friendly Label to Drive Supportive Work Culture and Policies
![Dubai Chamber Encourages Dubai Companies to Apply for the Parent-friendly Label to Drive Supportive Work Culture and Policies Dubai Chamber Encourages Dubai Companies to Apply for the Parent-friendly Label to Drive Supportive Work Culture and Policies](/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mohammed-Lootah-high-resolution-image-2.png)
Emphasizing the importance of parent-friendly policies to economy and society
Dubai, UAE – As many individuals in the UAE face challenges in balancing work and family obligations, parent-friendly workplace policies allow parents to care for their children’s wellbeing; therefore, benefiting individuals, the economy and society as a whole.
This was one the key takeaway messages from a webinar organized by Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, to introduce the Parent-Friendly Label programme to the business community in Dubai. The webinar was held in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and the chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business to promote the programme and encourage Dubai-based businesses to apply. ECA first launched the Parent-friendly Label in 2021 at the Abu Dhabi Emirate level. It is the first programme of its kind in the region. The success of the first cycle of the programme, with six organizations earning the Label for implementing parent-friendly policies, has inspired a nationwide roll-out in November last year. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President & CEO of Dubai Chambers, noted “The promotion and expansion of work practices and environments that enable individuals to effectively balance their professional and family responsibilities; especially for parents who care for young children, is of critical importance in building healthy societies and sustainable economies. Work-life balance is a pressing policy issue for our business community and in this context the Parent-friendly Label is a great initiative to encourage organizations to adopt more parent-friendly policies and child-supportive practices. As part of our efforts to improve Dubai’s favorable business environment, we will continue to promote and prioritize awareness and advocacy initiatives that support parents to balance their professional and childcare obligations.” Sharing similar sentiments, HE Sana Suhail, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority added: “Through this national programme, we aim to help parents achieve a balance between work, family and childcare in the early years. We invite organizations across the country to apply to earn the Parent-friendly Label for the numerous benefits it provides. It can help them attract and retain top talent, saving them time and money. Other benefits can include decreased employee absence, greater productivity, greater profitability and more. They will also have the opportunity to connect to other leaders in this space, sharing learnings and challenges.” The Parent-friendly Label is a voluntary workplace award programme that specifies a set of criteria that the semi-government, private or third sectors can adopt in order to be recognized by the ECA for their parent-friendly policies and practices. Working families in the UAE often need to make difficult tradeoffs in order to fulfil their commitments. By establishing policies and ways of working that are more compatible with the needs of working parents of young children aged 0-8, organizations will help foster a parent-friendly workplace culture in the UAE. Research has shown that flexible working options are important to 90 percent of the UAE workforce. Over half (56 per cent) of people working in the UAE want more emphasis on employee wellbeing and a work-life balance, according to the Cisco Hybrid Work Report 2022. This is the first public webinar that the ECA has organized in collaboration with an organization like Dubai Chambers following the launch of the new nation-wide cycle of the Parent-friendly Label programme. Any private sector, semi-government sector or third sector organization that has a valid trade license issued or operating in a free zone in the UAE can apply, at no direct cost to them, to earn the Parent-friendly Label. Interested businesses can complete the online application form on the ECA website https://eca.gov.ae/parent-friendly-home or call 056 686 6658 for more information. All applications are evaluated by an independent judging panel made up of senior officials from across the UAE. Earning the Parent-friendly Label gives valuable public recognition for businesses and offers them learning and development opportunities. Every applicant, no matter the outcome, receives a free, customized evaluation report to encourage continuous learning and improvement.Other News
![Dubai Chamber of Commerce launches Colombian Business Council Dubai Chamber of Commerce launches Colombian Business Council](/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/During-the-Annual-General-Meeting-1.jpg)
Maha Al Gargawi: “Business Councils serve as important platforms to enhance cooperation, develop promising opportunities, and build fruitful partnerships.” Dubai, UAE – Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has announced the establishment of the Colombian Business Council to strengthen bilateral…
Read more![Dubai Chamber of Commerce launches Mexican Business Council to boost bilateral trade and investment opportunities Dubai Chamber of Commerce launches Mexican Business Council to boost bilateral trade and investment opportunities](/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/During-the-Annual-General-Meeting.jpg)
Maha Al Gargawi: “We are committed to empowering Business Councils to contribute to increasing promising opportunities between the private sector in Dubai and business communities around the world.” A total of 108 companies from Mexico were registered as active members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce at the end of Q1…
Read more![Dubai Chamber of Commerce explores opportunities to drive economic growth during second quarterly meeting of Business Groups and Councils for 2024 Dubai Chamber of Commerce explores opportunities to drive economic growth during second quarterly meeting of Business Groups and Councils for 2024](/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/During-the-Quarterly-Roundtable-Meeting.jpg)
Maha Al Gargawi: “We are committed to increasing the private sector’s contribution to Dubai’s economic success by enhancing the role of Business Groups and Councils in improving the emirate’s favourable business environment, which helps promote the growth of companies across all sectors.” Dubai Chamber of Commerce reviewed 33 laws and…
Read more![Dubai Centre for Family Businesses E-library launched with almost 2,000 resources Dubai Centre for Family Businesses E-library launched with almost 2,000 resources](/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Building.jpg)
Dubai, UAE – The Dubai Centre for Family Businesses (DCFB), which operates under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has announced the launch of the Dubai Centre for Family Businesses E-library. Developed in cooperation with the Family Enterprise Foundation (FEF), the new online portal is aimed at assisting all stakeholders to…
Read more![Indian businesses top the list of nationalities of new companies joining Dubai Chamber of Commerce during Q1 2024 with 4,351 new members Indian businesses top the list of nationalities of new companies joining Dubai Chamber of Commerce during Q1 2024 with 4,351 new members](/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Building.jpg)
2,222 new Pakistani companies and 1,404 new Egyptian companies joined the chamber’s membership. Syrian companies secured fourth place on the list with 736 new additions to the chamber’s membership. 698 new companies from the United Kingdom joined the chamber’s membership during Q1 2024, followed by 635 new Bangladeshi companies. Iraq…
Read more