Baby Loss Awareness Week: What Are Your Rights Under UAE Labour Law?
Losing a baby is heartbreaking, and for parents going through it, the last thing they should have to worry about is navigating their rights at work.
As we mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9–15 October), we're looking at an important but often overlooked part of the conversation: what support are parents legally entitled to following a miscarriage or stillbirth, and what more can employers do to help?
While we've explored the importance of community and emotional support in another Parenting Plus feature, this time we're focusing on the practical and legal side.
We spoke to Thenji Moyo, employment law expert and Partner for Gateley Middle East, to understand what UAE Labour Law currently provides, where the gaps are, and why compassionate workplace policies can make a real difference to families experiencing loss.
✦ 1. What does UAE Labour Law currently provide for an employee who suffers miscarriage or stillbirth?
The UAE Labour Law provides a specific maternity-leave entitlement where a female employee suffers a miscarriage or still birth after six months of pregnancy. The statutory maternity leave is 60 days: 45 days on full pay followed by 15 days on half pay.
The law also allows a female employee to take up to a further 45 days of unpaid absence where she is unable to return to work because of an illness arising from pregnancy or childbirth, subject to the required medical certification.
The Law does not currently create a separate statutory entitlement covering early miscarriage. Where the statutory maternity-leave provisions do not apply, medical recovery may potentially be addressed through the sick-leave provisions, depending on the circumstances and medical advice.
✦ 2. Does the law prevent employers from doing more?
Not at all. The Labour Law establishes minimum statutory rights, but employers can provide more generous contractual or workplace benefits.
This is where employers have an opportunity to make a real difference. A company can introduce a specific pregnancy and baby-loss policy rather than leaving an employee to navigate a combination of sick leave and annual leave.
A good policy could include dedicated paid baby-loss leave, additional flexibility where medically or emotionally required, time off for medical appointments, counselling or Employee Assistance Programme support, flexible or phased returns to work and appropriate support for spouses. It should also address confidentiality and ensure managers understand how to respond sensitively and consistently.
✦ 3. How does the UAE position compare with other jurisdictions like the UK?
The UK has recently proposed legislative changes which are due to come into force in April 2027 and the changes developed a specific statutory framework for parental bereavement leave for either parent, step parents and foster parents to be entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid leave where a child dies or there is a stillbirth before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Time off after 24 weeks is also recognised. This demonstrates that legislation in this area is developing globally.
✦ 4. Should UAE employers wait for the law to change before introducing their own policies?
No. Employment legislation provides the minimum threshold, not necessarily the standard employers should aspire to. An organisation can decide that its values and provide greater support than the statutory minimum.
For multinational businesses, there is also an interesting question about whether employees should receive materially different support simply because they work in different jurisdictions. A global baby-loss policy can provide a consistent baseline while still complying with the local law in each country.
✦ 5. Why should employers care about this beyond simply doing the right thing?
Because best practice can also be good business practice.
Employees remember how their employer treats them during difficult moments. Providing compassionate and practical support can strengthen trust, engagement and an employee’s sense that their organisation genuinely values them.
It can also support retention. A supportive workplace can instead give that employee the space and confidence to recover and ultimately return to work.
✦ Beyond the Law: A Little More Compassion
Laws are there to protect employees, but supporting someone through the loss of a baby should go beyond what's legally required.
For employers, that might mean offering additional leave, allowing a gradual return to work, or simply giving someone the space and understanding they need without having to explain themselves repeatedly.
And for parents navigating loss, knowing your rights is one part of the picture. Knowing that your workplace will treat you with kindness and dignity matters just as much.
At Parenting Plus, we believe no parent should have to choose between taking the time to grieve and protecting their livelihood.