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The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) in the UAE has released a circular detailing the official Ramadan working hours for government ministries and federal employees during Ramadan 2023. The circular is in accordance with the Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 on the Implementation of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regarding the Regulation of Employment Relations.
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During the month of Ramadan, the working hours are reduced by two hours per day, in accordance with Article 15(2) of Cabinet Resolution No.1 of 2022. This means that the regular working hours shall be reduced by two hours during the holy month of Ramadan, subject to the provisions of Article 17 of the Employment Law.
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As per the circular, ministries and federal entities will work from:
The regular maximum working hours per day in the UAE are eight hours a day or 48 per week, as per Article 17(1) of the Employment Law.
Employers in the UAE are required to adhere to the provisions of law regarding working hours during Ramadan. Based on the aforementioned provisions of law, employers may reduce the regular timings for each shift from eight hours to six, and any additional hours of work may be considered overtime.
Employers must pay their employees their basic salary for their normal hours of work plus a supplement of at least 25% of that salary as overtime, as per Article 19(2) of the Employment Law.
Certain categories of employment sectors or employees may be exempted from payment for overtime. These include managers or supervisors in an entity or sectors which are involved in technical work in shift basis, in accordance with Article 15(4) (b) and (d) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022.
As a good gesture, employers in the UAE may consider employing their Muslim employees during other shifts and not during the evening ones to enable them to end their fast and offer prayers. This may also help in creating a better work-life balance for employees during the holy month of Ramadan.
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According to the MoHRE, private sector employees will enjoy a reduced number of work hours during the holy month of Ramadan. Typically, private sector employees work eight hours a day or 48 hours a week. However, during Ramadan, this will be reduced to six hours a day, or 36 hours a week. This decision is aimed at allowing employees to observe the holy month of Ramadan while still being able to fulfill their work obligations.
In a circular issued in this regard, the MoHRE said that “In accordance with the requirements and nature of their work, companies may apply flexible or remote work patterns within the limits of the daily working hours during the days of Ramadan.” This means that companies have the option to allow their employees to work remotely or have flexible working hours during Ramadan, as long as they abide by the reduced working hours.
It’s important to note that any additional hours of work beyond the six-hour limit may be considered overtime, for which the workers will need to be paid extra. This is to ensure that employees are compensated fairly for any additional work they do during this period.
Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) Working Hours
Earlier, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) had issued a circular setting the official working hours during the holy month of Ramadan for the employees of federal authorities. According to the circular, the official working hours for ministries and federal authorities will be from 9 am to 2.30 pm from Monday to Thursday, and from 9 am to 12 pm on Friday.
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