The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) in the UAE has stated the criteria for overtime work during Ramadan as per the Regulation of Labour Relations Law.
In a social media post, MoHRE revealed the conditions for working overtime during Ramadan are consistent with those enforced throughout the year.
According to the MoHRE, an employer can ask their employees to work a maximum of two hours of overtime per day, but they must receive compensation as per the law. MoHRE also mentioned that if the work is necessary to prevent significant loss, a grave accident, or reduce the impact of an accident, it will not be subject to the maximum overtime hours limit. Nonetheless, in any case, the total working hours should not exceed 144 hours over three weeks.
Back in January, MoHRE provided clarity on the overtime regulations under the new labor laws. The authority explained that employers are allowed to request their employees to work overtime as per the Labor Relations Law and its regulations, but they have to follow specific conditions.
- Establishments are allowed to require their employees to work overtime as long as it does not exceed two hours per day.
- If the extra work is necessary to prevent any loss or incidents or to eliminate or mitigate their effects, then overtime may exceed the two-hour limit.
- The total number of working hours should not surpass 144 hours over a period of three weeks.
The UAE MoHRE has also clarified the daily and weekly working hours, including regulations and work breaks, which are as follows:
- Regular working hours are eight hours per day or 48 hours per week.
- Commuting time to and from the workplace is not included in these working hours, except in specific cases and within the specified controls in the implementing regulations.
- For non-full-time work patterns, working hours are specified in the employment contract.
- Working hours should not go beyond five consecutive hours without a minimum one-hour break.
