Initiative aimed at ensuring business continuity & enhancing safety of employees & customers

March 16th, 2020 - Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai announced the launch of a remote work policy that allows its employees to perform their official tasks from their residences and ensure the continuity of operations, in view of the ongoing circumstances. The initiative was launched in response to the government's directives to ensure the health and safety of employees, their families, and customers, and to incorporate the best international standards and practices in work systems, which also allows employees to  achieve an optimal balance between their professional and personal lives. The announcement was made subsequent to the successful completion of an experimental phase, during which several employees of the Authority worked remotely. Their performances during the trial phase were monitored and it was found that the system works efficiently.

The results of the first phase of remote work system were reviewed during a meeting of CDA’s Higher management, the strategy aims to divide the Authority’s employees into several teams, so that these teams can take turns to work remotely. By avoiding the gathering of employees in the workplace, the strategy enhances preventive measures, while also facilitating the continuity of tasks that require employees to be physically present in the workplace. Furthermore, following the government’s directives, the management decided to immediately authorize remote work system for several roles within the Authority, and especially for pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, people of determination and the elderly. Besides, mothers who hold responsibility for children studying in the ninth grade and below, and in line with the remote learning system for students, will be supported with the opportunity to work from homes or to use flexible hours, while ensuring the continuity and quality of work.

H.E Ahmad Julfar, Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, stated that the Authority’s implementation of the remote work system, with the integration of advanced technology that ensures uninterrupted workflow is a global practice that contributes to  guaranteeing a healthy balance between the employees’ personal and professional lives. The policy also considers various circumstances that prevent employees from traveling to the workplace and allows a wide range of employees to perform their tasks and follow the work progress using modern communication tools.

He added: 'The adoption of the remote work system, which has been developed using modern technologies, ensures employees’ seamless communication with their colleagues and supervisors, and enables them to attend virtual meetings, exchange documents and follow up on tasks smoothly. The introduction of this system right now will contribute to enhancing health safety of our employees, their families and our valued customers.'

'We are keen to utilize all modern capabilities and advanced technologies to enhance the protection of our employees and our customers in a manner that guarantees efficient services and seamless access to them,' he concluded.