[co-author: Zahir Qayum]*

Employment law as it relates to women continued to be an area of focus for the government in 2019 with the issuance of Ministerial Resolution No. (39860), which sets out a number of rules. Key among these are the following:

• Defining night shift work in terms of its hours (6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) and the type of work that can be undertaken (e.g., health or charitable work, the media, etc.)
• Making it unlawful to treat women differently than men in terms of paying for work of equal value
• Requiring women to wear modest attire
• Making employers directly responsible for creating a suitable working environment for women
• Prohibiting privacy between men and women
• Prohibiting women from working in establishments designated for men only, and vice versa

Comment

Employers may want to conduct a review of their workplace policies and practices to ensure that they are compliant with Resolution No. (39860).

*Al Tamimi & Co.