Obese seagulls in Bahrain triggered calls for a clean-up, after officials said they were too fat to fly from feasting on leftover machboos.
Bahrain's national dish is a favourite with the birds, that swoop in to peck away at trays of discarded spicy chicken and rice.
The lure of leftovers led the seagull population to show signs of shunning traditional ocean feeding grounds in favour of plentiful supplies of the oil-drenched rice put out with the rubbish.
Abdullah Al Qubaisi, chairman of the Northern Municipal Council’s technical committee, called for a clean-up, because fat seagulls staggering around the streets were bringing down the reputation of respectable neighbourhoods.
"We can see them walking on the ground, it's like they just left work and came home for lunch," he told Bahrain's Gulf Daily News.
“We only ever see them feeding on leftover meals, such as machboos and other traditional dishes.
“All that is left to do for these birds is to set them up with a jug of juice and a range of desserts.”
The traditional Arabic dish is rice cooked in a chicken broth, flavoured with spices and dried lemon.
Machboos became a family staple in Bahrain over generations, but the carbohydrate-loaded meal is now causing problems with the island nation's wildlife.
Infestations of rats have been reported in Hamad town, where councillors want better signage to encourage responsible waste disposal to stop people dumping leftover meals.
Last week, vets in Dubai sounded the alarm over the trend to overfeed pets to make them cuter for social media posts.
Pets overfed for cute Instagram posts
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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