People Forth supports working mothers in the UAE, offering practical HR guidance and emotional support.
The clock read 3:47 AM when Charlotte Yokus found herself staring at her laptop screen, her three-month-old son finally asleep in her arms. In just a few hours, she would have to face the difficult decision many working mothers face: returning to her demanding corporate role in Dubai after the UAE’s brief 45-day maternity leave on full pay and 15 days half pay plus some annual leave. As an expat thousands of miles from her extended family, Charlotte was left navigating the challenging path of balancing work and motherhood in an unfamiliar environment.
That sleepless night marked the beginning of what would eventually become People Forth, a pioneering HR consulting firm focused on creating support systems for working mothers in the UAE. Their flagship program, The Fourth Trimester UAE, addresses the critical gap in Dubai’s expat community: the lack of comprehensive support for mothers transitioning back to work after childbirth.
The Expat Mother’s Dilemma
Charlotte’s journey is familiar to many professional expats in Dubai—career-driven and ambitious, yet unprepared for the challenges of motherhood far from home. “When I had my first son, I realized that while Dubai had plenty of social groups for new mothers, there was little to no support for women returning to work,” Charlotte reflects.
The UAE’s maternity leave policy offers just 45 days of full paid leave and 15 days of half pay leave, far shorter than what many other countries provide. For expat mothers without the safety net of extended family nearby, this brief period often forces a difficult choice between career progression and family well-being.
“I watched women leave their careers not because they wanted to, but because they felt there was no support for them to continue in their roles,” she shares.
A Practical Approach to a Complex Issue
Charlotte’s personal and professional challenges became the foundation for her approach to supporting working mothers. As a mother of two young boys, working full-time in Dubai’s competitive corporate world, she experienced firsthand the emotional and practical difficulties that many women face. The guilt of leaving her children, the pressure to perform at work immediately after returning, and the isolation of being so far from family are challenges many women struggle with but seldom address openly.
With a solid background in HR, Charlotte understood the importance of a structured, professional approach. “Existing support groups often focused on social aspects of motherhood, but they didn’t address the practical and legal challenges of returning to work,” she says. That gap in services led Charlotte to develop People Forth and its specialized programs.
The Fourth Trimester UAE Program
What sets People Forth apart is its combination of HR expertise and empathy for the expat mother’s experience. The Fourth Trimester UAE program offers more than just emotional support—it provides women with the legal knowledge and practical strategies to navigate their return to work.
“We focus on providing women with the tools they need to make informed decisions, both professionally and personally, while acknowledging their new roles as mothers,” Charlotte explains.
The program covers essential topics such as UAE labor laws, negotiating flexible work arrangements, and managing the emotional and practical challenges of transitioning back to a professional environment. Participants receive a comprehensive guide to understanding their legal rights and career options, alongside emotional support to help them regain confidence in their roles.
Recognition and Impact
The success of The Fourth Trimester UAE program has gained recognition not just from mothers, but from employers looking to improve their workplace environments for returning mothers. Charlotte’s unique approach has helped countless women navigate the complexities of their career transitions, providing them with actionable insights and strategies that extend beyond the workplace.
Feedback from program participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many women sharing how the program helped them return to work not just successfully, but with a renewed sense of professional identity.
A Vision for Change
Charlotte’s vision extends beyond the success of individual mothers. She aims to foster systemic change in how businesses in the UAE support working families. “Supporting working mothers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential for retaining talent and building strong, sustainable businesses,” she says.
Her work continues to evolve as she identifies new gaps in support services for expat families, with plans to expand The Fourth Trimester program to address these needs. Through People Forth, Charlotte hopes to create an ongoing support network for mothers that goes beyond temporary solutions, building a comprehensive ecosystem for working families in the UAE.
For mothers navigating their return to work or employers looking to foster a more supportive environment, People Forth provides the expertise and resources needed for a seamless and successful transition. Learn more by visiting People Forth’s website, or connect with us on Instagram @thefourthtrimesteruae and Instagram @peopleforth.
