Urgent UAE: overtime law and working hours law conditions for the private sector

Abdallah Shahin - | Business

Without a doubt, the smart government of the UAE has taken care to create a set of laws that will protect citizens' rights, including the UAE labour legislation, which covers all aspects of employment from A to Z.

pde Many workers turn to extra work or overtime to boost their income, and some may put in more than 14 hours a day to meet their material demands, but it may be wise to look for opportunities to put in extra time at the same job, especially if the company is dedicated to it. Or the company has overtime regulations that often compensate the employee more for overtime.

Working hours law in the UAE 1
Working hours law in the UAE 1

An outline of the UAE's overtime regulations:

The UAE Labour Law established a limit of 8 working hours per day, a weekly maximum of 48, and a two-hour reduction in regular working hours during the month of Ramadan. In commercial, hotel, and canteen operations, the number of working hours may also be increased to nine per day. Guarding and other positions that might be added if the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization so decides.

Similar to the above, the Minister may reduce the daily working hours in relation to work that is taxing or unhealthy for the worker's health by decision, so that the time the worker spends travelling between his place of residence and his place of employment is not included in the working hours.

Working hours law in the UAE 2
Working hours law in the UAE 2

Conditions of the working hours law in the UAE for the private sector:

There is no doubt that the working hours laws in the UAE for the private sector have well-thought-out conditions enacted by the wise government in order to preserve the rights of workers and protect their interests, we present you in the following lines with a set of them:

Daily working hours should be regulated; so that the worker works no more than five hours in a row without periods for rest, food and prayer that in total are not less than an hour, and these periods are not included in the calculation of working hours
For factories and factories where work is in successive regiments day and night, or in works where for technical and economic reasons it is necessary to continue work without stopping, the minister, by his decision, regulates how to grant workers breaks, food and prayer
If the working conditions require the worker to work more than the normal working hours, the period of the increase is considered overtime, for which the worker receives an equal wage to the wage corresponding to the normal working hours plus an increase of at least 25% of that wage
If the working conditions necessitate the employment of workers overtime between nine o'clock in the evening and four o'clock in the morning, the worker shall be entitled for the overtime the scheduled wage in relation to the normal working hours plus an increase of not less than 50% of that wage
Additional actual working hours may not exceed two hours per day unless the work is required, with the aim of preventing the occurrence of bodily loss or a serious accident or to eliminate or mitigate its effects
It should be taken into account that Friday is the normal weekly rest day for all workers, except day laborers, and if circumstances require the worker to work on this day, he must be compensated another day of rest, or be paid the basic wage for normal working hours plus at least 50% of that wage
The worker may not be employed more than two consecutive Fridays, except for Day Labor
If the working conditions require the worker to work during the holidays or holidays for which he receives a salary, he must compensate for it with another vacation with the payment of an increase in wages by 25% of his salary, and if he does not compensate for it with a vacation, the employer pays the worker an increase in his basic wage of 125% for working days
It is worth mentioning that government entities are not subject to the labor law, as they are governed by the human resources law of the federal government, and the human resources laws of the local governments of each emirate, where the working hours in the government sector are 7 hours a day, knowing that the director of the entity has the full right to set certain daily working hours, depending on the requirements of work in that entity.

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Abdallah Shahin
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