Working mothers of primary pupils backed for home working

TDT | Manama

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Parliament has passed an urgent proposal calling for working mothers with children in primary school to be allowed to work from home for the time being, as MPs pressed for a stop-gap measure to help families facing strain over childcare.

The proposal, tabled by MP Mohammed Al Balushi and four other MPs, asks the relevant authorities to allow women in both the public and private sectors to do their jobs remotely if they have children in primary school, so long as work and services keep going.

Al Balushi told the chamber the request was meant to help families through “the exceptional circumstances that could affect family stability and the safety of children”.

He said the scheme should let mothers carry out their work from home during this period, under rules drawn up by the competent bodies to keep a fair balance between work needs and family demands.

The paper attached to the proposal says the move is driven by the strain families can face when young children are left at home without direct care during working hours.

It says children in primary school are among those most in need of close and ongoing supervision, which makes it harder for working mothers to juggle their jobs and home duties.

It says remote work in such cases would help give children a safer setting, ensure direct care and watch over them at a key age, ease strain on families and keep work going through flexible arrangements.