Катар вводит гибкий график и продленный декрет для поддержки баланса работы и семьи

File photo Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s decisions and initiatives to support families are contributing to greater family stability and social cohesion, while helping parents balance their professional responsibilities with childcare and household duties, family consultant Youssef Al Suwaidi said. Al Suwaidi said maintaining family stability and empowering families are key priorities under the strategy of the Ministry of Social Development and Family for 2025–2030. Speaking to Qatar TV recently, he highlighted the importance of enabling both fathers and mothers, particularly working mothers, to achieve a healthy balance between their professional obligations and family responsibilities. “Maintaining family stability and empowering the family in general, whether the father or mother, especially working women, is about achieving a balance between work and family,” Al Suwaidi said. He noted that Qatar has introduced a range of labour and employment measures aimed at supporting parents in meeting their family responsibilities while fulfilling workplace requirements. These include provisions supporting women in the workplace, remote working arrangements for cases requiring special care, and expanded maternity leave. Under the measures cited by Al Suwaidi, maternity leave can extend to 90 days, with the possibility of extending the period to six months in special cases. Such initiatives, he said, help parents, particularly mothers, manage childcare responsibilities without compromising their professional duties. The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau is also continuing to promote workplace flexibility and family stability among employees of government entities through employment benefits and flexible working arrangements. The flexible working system allows government employees to choose their starting and finishing times within an approved window, with the working day beginning between 6:30am and 8:30am, subject to applicable regulations and the operational requirements of their respective entities. Employees are required to complete the official working hours, while the flexibility in scheduling gives them greater scope to accommodate family responsibilities, including school-related commitments and childcare. The system also provides employees with 10 hours of permission leave per month, in accordance with the Civil Human Resources Law issued by Law No. 15 of 2016 and its amendments, including Law No. 25 of 2025. The provision gives employees additional time to accompany their children and follow up on their educational journey, further supporting the balance between professional and family life. The measures form part of wider efforts to create a supportive environment for families in Qatar by combining employment flexibility, parental benefits and social policies. By enabling parents to better manage work and household responsibilities, such policies seek to reduce pressures on families and reinforce their ability to fulfil their responsibilities towards children while remaining productive in the workplace. Al Suwaidi stressed that the combined effect of these initiatives can contribute significantly to preserving family stability and strengthening the role of both parents in caring for and raising children. The focus on work-life balance also reflects a broader approach to social development in Qatar, where family stability is regarded as an important foundation for social cohesion and a resilient community.