The Working Hours In Accordance With the UAE Federal Law

The working Hours

In accordance with the U.A.E Federal Law No. 8 of 1980

Each and every employee must be aware of his/her exact working hours and this awareness shall be in accordance with the provisions of the law governs the employee`s, knowing the legal will help the employee to be more productive as the employee will be working in a suitable environment that will support him/her to be more successful and that will increase his eagerness to work as the employee will be having his / her full rights.

Some employers are taking advantages of the employees who are not fully aware of the law by adding extra hours to their original without paying them an overtime and… etc. our roman business here is to help the employees to understand their rights.

We will present some questions that will help the employee to understand everything related.

Q No. (1) what is the maximum daily working hours?

The maximum daily is eight hours and 48 hours per week in some circumstances it can be 9 hours. The change can be made by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, As states in Article 65: “The maximum normal for adult workers shall be eight hours in the day, 48 hours in the week. They may be increased to nine hours a day in commercial establishments, hotels, cafeterias, security services and such other businesses as may be added by resolution of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. The daily working hours may be reduced by resolution of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, in the case of arduous or health-hazardous work. Two during the month of Ramadan shall reduce the normal working hours. The periods spent by a worker in traveling between his home and place of work shall not be included in his working hours”.

Q No. (2): what is the regulations of the working hours?

The employee shall not work for more than five successive hours, there should be a break for rest, praying and that break shall not exceed one hour. However there is an exception mentioned in the Article No. 66 for the night shift employees which states that: ” The daily working hours shall be so regulated that no worker shall work for more than five successive hours without breaks – for rest, meals and prayer- amounting in aggregate to not less than one hour. Such breaks shall not be included as part of the working hours

However, in factories and workshops where work is organised in the form of successive day and night shifts, and in processes where work has to continue uninterrupted for technical and economic reasons, the manner in which breaks for rest, meals and prayer are to be granted shall be specified in a resolution by the Minister”

Q No. (3) Can the daily working hours be amended?

Yes the working hours can be amended as per the work needs and the extra hours shall be treated as “overtime” and it will be paid by the employer to the employees in accordance with the percentage mentioned in the Article No. 67 which states: “Where the work circumstances require a worker to work more than the normal number of hours, any period worked in excess shall be treated as overtime, for which the worker shall receive the wage stipulated for his normal working hours, plus a supplement of at least 25 per cent of that wage”.

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