Laila Yousef, Senior Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), joined Maria Botros on this week’s Tell Me Why podcast episode to talk about the importance of parent-friendly workplaces and policies.
Laila: 87% of surveyed employees in the UAE believed that if managers applied parent-friendly policies fairly within an organization, they were likely to recommend the workplace
Parent-friendly workplaces don’t just benefit parents and children, they are also good for business, says Laila
Laila: We have 17 organizations who have earned the parent-friendly label so far
We look at parental leave, flexible work, family well-being, and a company’s culture before we award them the label, says Laila
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#UAEnews #podcast #parenting
Laila: 87% of surveyed employees in the UAE believed that if managers applied parent-friendly policies fairly within an organization, they were likely to recommend the workplace
Parent-friendly workplaces don’t just benefit parents and children, they are also good for business, says Laila
Laila: We have 17 organizations who have earned the parent-friendly label so far
We look at parental leave, flexible work, family well-being, and a company’s culture before we award them the label, says Laila
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #podcast #parenting
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00:00We recently released a report called
00:02The Future of Work, the Rise of Parent-Friendly Workplaces in the UAE.
00:06And it found that 87% of employees that we surveyed here in the UAE
00:12believed that if their manager applied parent-friendly policies fairly
00:16and consistently in the organization,
00:18they were likely to recommend this place that they work at.
00:30All right, tell me why is back this week.
00:39Parents, you better tune into this episode
00:41because this is something that you're going to relate to.
00:44I'm relating to it as a newly married person
00:48who is considering to expand her family.
00:51And I think this topic never gets old.
00:52And I think it's an ever-evolving topic.
00:55And it's about parent-friendly workplaces.
00:58It's about the benefits and the rights that you should get as a parent,
01:02as a working parent, be it a mother or a father,
01:04because we tend to neglect the fathers a little.
01:07So with me in the studio is Leila Youssef,
01:10who is the Senior Advisor at Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority,
01:13the ECA, basically.
01:15Leila, how are you?
01:16Fine, thank you.
01:16And thanks for talking about this important topic.
01:19I'm very glad that you've brought up this topic
01:22because people often think the future of work is happening somewhere else.
01:26But it's right here happening in the UAE.
01:28Yes, absolutely.
01:29And I feel like this topic is really important
01:32because it really goes into a much deeper aspect
01:38than just parent-friendly workplaces.
01:40It affects mental health.
01:42It affects development, like a child's development.
01:46It affects the mother's well-being.
01:47It affects the father's well-being.
01:49It affects their work ethic as well.
01:51I mean, when they get more rights and when they get more benefits
01:54and a more parent-friendly workplace,
01:58you see a drastic change in their work ethic,
02:00be it to the better or the worse.
02:02Their work ethic and their loyalty towards the company and their productivity.
02:05We've seen that parent-friendly workplaces
02:07are not just good for parents and children.
02:09They're also good for business.
02:10They're also good for organizations.
02:12Yes, precisely.
02:14Okay, so before we dive into anything,
02:16tell us a bit more about yourself.
02:17So how did you get to where you are today?
02:19And are you a working mother yourself?
02:21And what are some of the challenges you faced?
02:24Definitely a working mother.
02:26And I'm sure there's a lot of working mothers listening to this out there
02:30who are maybe struggling to balance everything.
02:34And I give a lot of credit to my upbringing, my parents, my education
02:40that has instilled in me the values to know that you do your best
02:46and you have open communication with your employer
02:49on what your responsibilities are beyond the office walls.
02:53And we're seeing more and more organizations do that.
02:55They're realizing that employees have caregiving responsibilities
02:59outside of the workplace,
03:01whether that's your own parents, someone elderly in your home,
03:04or whether it's your own children, your young children
03:06who are depending on you sometimes for survival.
03:09And we want to see more parents spend quality time with their children
03:13and less dependency on perhaps what we call the electronic babysitter,
03:17the iPad or the domestic helper.
03:20You know, we want to reach to a point
03:21where you're able to do the school run without having to watch the clock.
03:26You're able to attend that school event as a parent
03:29and really be there for your child.
03:30You're able to be there on time for bedtime.
03:33Those are the moments our children are going to remember in the future.
03:36Right. Absolutely.
03:38So being a senior advisor at the ECA and your work there in the authority,
03:43tell us a bit more about the ECA first,
03:45before we get into like what you do
03:47and how you're helping companies and workplaces
03:50promote a more parent friendly workplace.
03:52So what is the ECA?
03:53And you recently launched a program as well that is super special.
03:58Let's put it that way.
04:00It is special.
04:01The Early Childhood Authority, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.
04:05We are relatively a new government entity in Abu Dhabi.
04:08And we were set up in 2019.
04:11And we look at early childhood or the early years in a holistic way.
04:15So we look at health and nutrition of the child.
04:17We look at how to develop the right policies and laws
04:21and how to review the existing ones.
04:23We look at how to support working families.
04:25We look at how to support, for example,
04:29startups in early childhood, in the early childhood space.
04:33So we look at early childhood from a very holistic lens.
04:38We look at data connected to the child and try to make sense of it.
04:41So it's really a new perspective.
04:43We're really looking at it from a new lens
04:45when it comes to those really important early years.
04:48And the early years of a child are really what determine that child's future.
04:51The zero to eight years old are crucial.
04:54That's when the child's brain is developing.
04:56That's when the best and most important interventions need to happen.
05:00So the ECA came up with, developed and launched the Parent Friendly Label in 2021.
05:06And the label is a workplace award program that's open to any organization in the UAE.
05:11If you're in the private sector, if you're in the semi-government sector.
05:14And what we're looking for are those forward-thinking,
05:17progressive organizations in the UAE that they get it, right?
05:23They get it.
05:23And they are listening to their employees.
05:26They're seeing the tangible benefits in offering flexibility,
05:30in offering a culture of trust, right?
05:33And parent-friendly policies.
05:35So some examples of parent-friendly policies.
05:37It doesn't just stop at offering a nursing room.
05:40Tick, I'm done.
05:41I've set up a nursing room.
05:43This is about offering an environment that's compassionate.
05:47That's understanding of the employee's needs as a caregiver.
05:50That offers generous and adequate maternity leave and paternity leave.
05:55You mentioned the father's often neglected.
05:57This program is definitely inclusive.
05:59We've taken into consideration the important role the father has.
06:03It also looks at, you know, children will have emergencies.
06:08As a parent, you will have a child-related emergency in your lifetime.
06:12Whether the child gets a fever, children get sick a lot.
06:14We know that.
06:15Of course.
06:15They go to nursery, they come back sick.
06:17Absolutely.
06:18And when that happens,
06:19we believe the workplace has a role in supporting you as a parent.
06:23You know, so having a policy that deals with those instances is really important.
06:27We often hear an organization says,
06:29well, I'll deal with that on a case-by-case basis.
06:32That's not sustainable.
06:33Right.
06:33We're trying to encourage organizations to have sustainable policies in these situations.
06:40What about miscarriage?
06:41What about stillbirths?
06:42What about multiple births?
06:44These are all definitely, you know, times in a parent's,
06:48challenging times in a parent's life.
06:50How are you as a workplace going to support this employee who's a parent?
06:56And in turn, you'll see that you're able to retain that employee.
07:00You're able to become a better employer of choice, a more attractive place to work.
07:04Right.
07:04And also we've seen that the productivity levels increase.
07:07Yes, absolutely.
07:09I love that you mentioned that some companies,
07:11stick to that excuse of,
07:12oh, I'm just going to deal with it on a case-by-case basis.
07:15But to be honest, it's unfair.
07:18When you don't have a general rule that just applies to all,
07:22then if you deal with it on a case-by-case basis, it might be subjective.
07:26I'm glad you mentioned that because
07:28to apply a parent-friendly policy in a consistent and fair way
07:32has proven to be very important to employees.
07:35So we recently released a report called
07:38The Future of Work, The Rise of Parent-Friendly Workplaces in the UAE.
07:41And it found that 87% of employees that we surveyed here in the UAE
07:47believed that if their manager applied parent-friendly policies fairly
07:52and consistently in the organization,
07:54they were likely to recommend this place that they work at to friends and family.
08:00Wow, 87%.
08:02That really shows the important role that a manager plays
08:06in being fair and consistent when you apply parent-friendly policies.
08:09Yes.
08:09Right?
08:09Yes.
08:10You know, we used to hear horror stories before of employees who were
08:14called in three weeks into their maternity leave to come back to work, right?
08:21Yes, absolutely.
08:22And so that's why we believe the Parent-Friendly Label Program,
08:25when we assess organizations through this program,
08:27we look at it from a holistic perspective.
08:30So an organization applies,
08:33attaches the evidence that they have of what policies they have,
08:36but then we also listen to the voice of the employees.
08:39We also survey the employees at that organization
08:41to ensure that the policies match the culture.
08:45Amazing.
08:45And that there's alignment in that way.
08:47Amazing.
08:47I love that.
08:48You know, you mentioned hearing about cases of women who've been called in
08:53during their maternity, and a case just popped in my mind,
08:57someone that's not here actually, but it's a story that happened to a friend
09:02who actually went in for emergency labor because she was, and she was,
09:06her baby was premature.
09:07And she was actually being called and hounded while she was in the hospital
09:12by her colleagues and managers because she had to get tasks done.
09:16And she didn't have time to hand over those tasks.
09:20But really, is that appropriate?
09:22Like, was it necessary?
09:24And in order for her to be able to take that time off,
09:26they actually started her maternity leave from the day she got admitted.
09:30And it was just, again, because there weren't any clear policies put in,
09:35and there wasn't...
09:35And no organization wants to be in that situation.
09:37Exactly.
09:38And no employee wants to.
09:39On the flip side, there are some really positive stories coming out right now in the UAE.
09:43We have 17 organizations so far that have earned the Parent Friendly label.
09:48And we're very grateful and blessed that it's His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
09:52President of the UAE, who personally recognizes these organizations
09:56and awards them the label.
09:57So it's been given that top strategic importance.
10:00And we're very grateful for that.
10:02And these organizations are really standing out in the market.
10:06They're really, really inspiring others in their industry.
10:09And some of the examples of policies that they have are like,
10:12work from anywhere during the summer, right?
10:15And that takes a lot of trust between the employee and the manager
10:18and clear deliverables and clear goals.
10:20And we encourage that.
10:22We have an organization that reimburses employees
10:26when their child goes for activities after school.
10:28If the parent needs to be at work,
10:30so that they make sure that the child is in a safe and a good place while the parent is working.
10:36Wow.
10:36And there are some really positive stories.
10:38And these are real life stories.
10:39And I'll just change the name of the person.
10:41You know, we have the story of Sam.
10:43He's a three year old child who unfortunately was diagnosed with leukemia.
10:47And Sam's father works for a Parent Friendly workplace that has earned the label.
10:51And thankfully, that workplace was compassionate,
10:54was understanding,
10:55made sure that Sam's father's medical insurance covered the treatments.
10:59Not only that, they gave him an extended compassionate paid leave
11:03to ensure that Sam's father can be beside Sam during his healing journey.
11:08Oh my goodness, goosebumps.
11:10You know, this is the time when Sam's father is going to remember
11:13what this company, how this company supported him.
11:15Imagine the loyalty that how it increases.
11:18Another story is Manisha.
11:20Manisha had several, unfortunately, miscarriages over the years
11:24while she was at that company.
11:26And that company is now a Parent Friendly workplace that's earned the label.
11:30And they, every time, gave her the space and time to heal and to recover.
11:35Today, Manisha has a one month old son that she's raising.
11:39Can you imagine how loyal and productive Manisha is now at that company?
11:43Of course.
11:43Because they were there for her in her time of need.
11:46Wow, I can't even.
11:47Like, these are the companies that actually understood the assignment.
11:50Exactly.
11:51Like, these people get it.
11:52And they're actually light years ahead of so many other companies.
11:56And I love that this program exists because then it gives other companies
12:00the motive to actually implement these policies and to strive for greatness.
12:07I mean, tell us a bit more about the program.
12:09So how does it work?
12:09The other added value that these organizations get, Maria,
12:12is that they become part of this community of knowledge sharing, right?
12:17So all the label earners, we bring them together regularly.
12:21And they get to share inspiring stories.
12:23They get to encourage each other.
12:24They get to share challenges as well.
12:26They get to listen to expert speakers on different topics related to parent-friendly policies.
12:31And so beyond earning the label, there are a lot of advantages as well.
12:36They get to keep the label for two years.
12:38It's valid for two years.
12:39It's completely free to apply for the organization.
12:42I know there are a lot of award systems out there that charge organizations.
12:45We do not charge organizations.
12:47We get them to embark on the journey.
12:49We guide them throughout the journey of becoming parent-friendly.
12:53We assess organizations based on five criteria.
12:56We look at parental leave.
12:58We look at flexible work.
13:00We look at family well-being, family care, and we look at their culture.
13:04We also look at what innovative policies they have in place and innovative practices
13:09and solutions for the challenges that parents face.
13:13Okay.
13:13So do you know any of these innovative policies off the top of your head?
13:18Like, do you know any examples?
13:20There's an innovative policy that sticks in my mind that we always like to mention.
13:24And there's an organization here in the UAE that has a lot of employees who are what we
13:30call in the field.
13:32So they're working in the field.
13:35And they found an innovative way to support the families of these workers by setting up
13:42an emergency fund.
13:43The emergency fund, you can opt to, as an employee, contribute to that emergency fund
13:48from your salary.
13:49So one, it creates cohesion and bonding between all of the employees because they're all
13:54helping each other.
13:56Second, you found an innovative way because you can't give those workers flexible work,
14:00for example, or work from home, right?
14:02Yeah.
14:02Right now, I think we've reached a point where we know that parent-friendly workplaces
14:07go beyond having a nursing room, having a daycare, you know, in the office for parents
14:13with fairly young infants, you know, to be around.
14:17So it goes beyond that.
14:19What do you see happening in the future of the UAE when it comes to, in this respect,
14:25basically?
14:26Do you see that growing?
14:28Do you see more innovative policies coming in?
14:33What do you see in the future?
14:34So I'll share what we know now.
14:36We know now that it's all about leadership will.
14:38If the leadership in the organization has the will to change and is role modeling these
14:44behaviors, the change will happen.
14:46We also know that the number of parent-friendly workplaces are on the rise in the UAE.
14:49We're very proud of that.
14:51We know that it's of strategic importance to the national agenda here in the UAE as
14:55well, supporting working families.
14:58So what we hope to see is more awareness at the managerial level inside the organization
15:04of the tangible benefits from offering parent-friendly policies.
15:08OK.
15:09We want to see more conversations between the HR teams and the leadership of how they
15:14can better support their employees who are parents of young children and the demonstration
15:19of these tangible benefits.
15:20Making the case, make the case inside your organization.
15:24Right.
15:24So I'm glad you mentioned that because this was a question that we spoke about before
15:28we went on air.
15:29And do you feel like employees have more of an authority to speak up and actually face
15:38their HR or their managers?
15:40I do.
15:40I think the employee of today is not the employee of yesterday.
15:43Today, when you interview an employee, one of the first things they'll ask you is, what
15:46flexibility are you going to offer me?
15:48Right.
15:48You know, we went through the pandemic.
15:50The lines between the professional life and the personal life were blurred.
15:53We got to know each other's pets.
15:54We got to know each other's children.
15:56And so and that was a good thing for organizations, right?
15:59People started seeing each other as people, as people with other responsibilities, with
16:04lives.
16:05And so what we hope to see and what I do believe is already happening is this clear and honest
16:11communication of what your expectations are as an employee.
16:16And the business also has that right to clarify those expectations on the nature of the business.
16:20Right.
16:20Not every sector in the UAE can offer work from home.
16:24We understand that.
16:25Of course.
16:25But we also call on organizations to creatively come up with ways to support these employees.
16:31Right.
16:32Of course.
16:32You know, now that you mention it, I mean, something like retail.
16:36I mean, it's very difficult to have someone that works in retail, you know, work from
16:39home or work remotely.
16:40But surely there are ways to make them feel like, you know, they're being supported.
16:45I mean, behind the scenes, it doesn't have to be a work remotely type of dynamic, but
16:50it could be like giving them extra benefits or giving them like a two hour, two hours
16:55a week, for instance, that, you know, for them to spend with their kids in the morning
16:58or something of that sort.
17:00I absolutely love this topic.
17:02I think it's something that I think about a lot.
17:05I mean, as a person who is thinking of becoming a parent one day and it is it's overwhelming.
17:12And that's why I wanted to speak to you as a mother.
17:14I mean, what did you go through as a working mom or as a studying mom as well?
17:19Because I know that you had your first child while you were studying.
17:21I did.
17:21I had my first child.
17:23He's eight today, eight going on 18.
17:26I had my first child in a foreign country as a student where I had no support network
17:31other than it was my husband and I, of course.
17:33Of course.
17:34And so the concept of a parent friendly workplace speaks to me personally.
17:38Yes.
17:39And I have a personal interest as well in furthering the rise of parent friendly workplaces
17:45in the UAE.
17:46And so definitely now I'm a mother of two and I'm blessed to be working in a parent
17:54friendly workplace, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.
17:57And we are seeing how people are productive.
17:59We are seeing how people are appreciative of the culture of trust and this autonomy
18:03that's given.
18:03And of course, with the autonomy and trust comes a lot of responsibility.
18:06Of course.
18:07Right.
18:07Clear deliverables, clear timelines, clear communication between you and your manager
18:12where you are and what you're delivering.
18:13But this trust, trust the employee to know where and how and what to deliver their best
18:18work.
18:19Of course.
18:19Right.
18:20Of course.
18:20It just goes back to the whole micromanagement and, you know, not trusting your employees.
18:24There's probably fear in a lot of organizations.
18:26Give it a try.
18:26Pilot it.
18:28Survey your employees.
18:29See what they think.
18:29Survey your managers.
18:31And I just want to end with like a real call for organizations to start their application
18:36to earn the parent friendly label.
18:38Like I said, it's for free.
18:39And regardless of the outcome of your application, you get a free customized feedback report
18:45of where you stand as an organization.
18:47That's fantastic.
18:48So your areas of improvement, your strengths.
18:51Right.
18:52And it's really an anonymous process.
18:54So no one should be shy of starting their application because of a fear of failure,
19:00because you just have everything to gain.
19:02Of course.
19:02From the feedback that's given.
19:03It's upwards from there.
19:04I mean, there is no way downwards because in a sense, you're just you're taking that
19:09feedback and you're trying to improve and you're you're aiming for greatness.
19:13OK, I know you have a long way back to Abu Dhabi and I don't want to take more of your
19:18time.
19:19But my last question, what's your advice for working parents?
19:23I think be clear on your expectations when you do join an organization.
19:27Right.
19:28Don't be afraid to be honest and open about your caregiving responsibilities.
19:32The more we speak up about it, the more the organization will appreciate your honesty
19:37and that you are clear.
19:38And, you know, when I joined my organization, I was really clear the school run is important
19:43to me.
19:43It's the it's the time that I connect with my my child's teachers, with my child on the
19:49way back.
19:50That's the most talkative he's ever been.
19:52And any organization that understands that this is important to parents will be accepting
19:56of that.
19:57My other my other piece of advice for working parents is, you know, move away from this
20:03myth that we can do it all.
20:05Don't be too hard on yourself.
20:07I think it's also we always stress at the ACA about the importance of quality time rather
20:12than the number of hours.
20:13It's about the quality time, the quality of the time that you're spending with the child.
20:18Right.
20:19Try asking your child what they want to do rather than forcing on them your activity.
20:24We have a great parents platform on our website at the ACA.gov.ae.
20:29Check out the parents platform.
20:30There's a lot of information there for working parents.
20:33Amazing.
20:34Leila, thank you so much.
20:35We'd love to have you back.
20:36I mean, if there's any developments or any new programs, please feel free to come back
20:40and talk all about them.
20:42And I feel like this is a topic that will forever evolve and there will always be advancements.
20:47So we'd love to have you back.
20:48Thank you so much.
20:49Thank you for having me.