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Doha, Qatar: Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CSGDB) in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has launched a pilot project to reduce the duty hours of Qatari mothers working in the government sector during mid-term vacation of the current academic year.
The duty of the targeted employees will end by 12noon from December 24, 2023, for two weeks during the vacation. The women employees whose works require them to continue until the end of official working hours are excluded from this initiative.
Director of the Human Resources Policies Department at the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau Yacoub Al Ishaq said that starting today employees can apply through the Human Resources Department in the government entity to benefit from the experimental flexible work system.
Speaking to Qatar TV yesterday, Al Ishaq said: “We will circulate a questionnaire to the beneficiaries of the flexible system and then submit recommendations in this regard to the esteemed State Cabinet to study the feasibility of implementation of the decision thereafter.”
He said that it is not permissible to combine leave hours with reduced hours for the experimental flexible work system. “Within the framework of supporting Qatari families, a pilot flexible work system initiative was launched to reduce working hours for Qatari mothers in government agencies,” said Al Ishaq.
As per the terms and conditions, the mother employees should have children in schools up to grade 12. They are required to attach the birth certificate of their children with the application which will be submitted to the employer. The head of the entity will determine who is eligible for the flexible hours.
The initiative comes within the framework of strengthening the role of the family and increasing the bond between family members, and the mother’s pivotal role in raising and caring for her children, and out of concern for the importance of her being present for a longer period with her children.
This step contributes to adopting more flexible methods of work, encouraging the working mother to increase productivity, reconcile work and family requirements, and increase job satisfaction.
The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau will study the pilot phase of implementing a reduction in working hours for Qatari mothers in government agencies and evaluate this experience.
The Civil Bureau seeks to adopt initiatives that will support the Qatari family and achieve a balance between work and the personal lives of individuals, to create a society that enjoys prosperity, and to increase levels of productivity and innovation in the work environment. This initiative constitutes a step within a group of initiatives towards building a healthy and sustainable work environment.
