Under Article 17 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, working hours cannot exceed 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week. Overtime is paid at the hourly rate on basic salary plus at least 25%, and at least 50% between 10 pm and 4 am, under Article 19.
Step by step
- 1
Normal hours
8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, and no one works more than 5 consecutive hours without breaks totaling at least one hour, under Article 18.
- 2
Overtime limit
Two hours a day at most, unless the work is needed to prevent serious loss or a serious accident or to remove its effects, and total working hours cannot exceed 144 hours in any three weeks, under Article 19 and Article 15 of the executive regulations.
- 3
Overtime hour pay
The hourly rate calculated on basic salary plus at least 25%, rising to at least 50% between 10 pm and 4 am, except for shift workers.
- 4
Work on the rest day
The employee gets a substitute rest day, or the day's pay plus at least 50% of the basic wage for that day.
- 5
Ramadan hours
Normal working hours are reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan, under Article 15 of the executive regulations.
Calculating overtime on gross salary, or applying 25% to night hours, are two common mistakes: the law uses basic salary and raises the night rate to 50%.
- overtime pay in the uae private sector
- ramadan working hours in the uae