Parliament has passed an amendment to the Employment Act allowing working mothers to take childcare breaks until their child turns two years old, extending the current limit of one year.
The amendment was submitted by Member of Parliament Mohamed Shameez on behalf of the government. The bill was unanimously approved, with 62 members voting in favour.
Under the existing law, employees are entitled to two 30-minute breaks during working hours each day to visit and care for their child without any deduction from salary, until the child reaches the age of one. The amendment now extends this entitlement until the child turns two.
During the parliamentary debate, Member of Parliament Hussain Sameer proposed an amendment to increase the childcare breaks to 45 minutes twice a day. However, the proposal was not accepted by Parliament.
Employees are already entitled to a one-hour break during working hours, and the time allocated for childcare is granted in addition to this existing break.
The amendment also revises rules governing dismissal notices. Under the new provision, employees who have worked for up to one year must be given two weeks’ notice prior to termination. Under the current law, the two-week notice period applies only to employees who have worked between six months and one year.
In addition, the amendment grants the Cabinet the authority to provide exemptions from quota fees for hiring foreign workers in certain businesses. The measure is intended to support small and medium enterprises as well as newly established businesses.