YEREVAN /ARKA/. At its session on Thursday, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted, in its second and final reading, amendments to the RA Labor Code providing for the intro- duction of “parental hour” and flexible work schedules. RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Lusine Kocharyan stat- ed that the changes are aimed at mak- ing citizens and employers feel more comfortable in their employ- ment relationships. According to her, “paren- tal hour” will allow parents to be absent from work while re- taining their pay. “Parents with one or two children under 12 will be able to be absent from work for half an hour, while parents with three or more children will be able to be absent for one hour. Both the father and mother of the child will be able to take advantage of the “parental hour,” Kocharyan said. Parents of children with disabilities under 18, regardless of the number of children, will be able to take one hour off from work while maintaining their average basic wage, the deputy minis- ter noted.