With just 60 days remaining until the application deadline, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) is inviting organizations across the UAE’s semi-government, private, and third sectors to apply for Cycle 4 of the Parent-friendly Label (PFL) on or before 31 July 2026. Organizations are encouraged to take part and join a growing group of leading family-friendly workplaces across the country.
The UAE-wide voluntary workplace award recognizes organizations that foster supportive and inclusive work environments, which ultimately lead to positive outcomes for employers, employees, children, and society.
The program’s fourth cycle marks a significant milestone, with the program being piloted in government entities for the first time, in collaboration with the Ministry of Family. Coinciding with the UAE’s Year of the Family 2026, the expansion aims to further strengthen family-focused workplace culture across the country, while evolving the program’s framework to set a global benchmark for a parent-friendly workplace.
The program also encourages label earner organizations from previous cycles to apply to re-earn the label or upgrade to “Parent-friendly Label+” by enhancing their work policies and practices to meet or exceed international practices.
The PFL program recognizes organizations that foster supportive and inclusive workplaces for parents of young children, through policies such as flexible work arrangements, understanding the needs of families, welcoming back new mothers and fathers, offering enhanced parental leave, and various other policies. The program assesses applications based on a comprehensive framework that was developed based on international benchmarks and studies, and covers five criteria: Parental Leave, Flexible Working Arrangements, Family Care, Family Wellbeing, Culture, and Innovation.
Since its launch in 2021, the Parent-friendly Label program has positively impacted the lives of more than 1 million employees globally, including over 311,000 across 25 sectors in the UAE. According to the program’s second Impact Report, Thriving Through Talent: How parent-friendly policies drive balance, growth, and global competitiveness, parent-friendly workplace policies are driving stronger employee retention, well-being, and productivity, with 71 per cent of working parents reporting improved daily productivity as a result of the supportive workplace environment.
Organizations across the UAE are encouraged to apply on or before 31 July 2026 at parentfriendlylabel.ae. and learn more about the program through its Applicant Handbook.
