News: Full text of Article 7 of the UAE Labour Law

These are points for employees in the UAE:

UAE Labour Law Section 7- Working hours.

1. What are prescribed working hours?

The maximum prescribed working hours for an adult employee is eight hours daily or forty-eight hours per week. However, the working hours may be increased to nine hours per day in the case of persons employed in trades, hotels, cafeterias, guards.

2. Would travelling to and from work be included in working hours?
No, the time travelling to and from work is not included in working hours.

3. Are breaks included during working hours?

The employee may not work for more than 5 consecutive hours per day without breaks for rest, food and prayer. However, the resting and the food will not be included in calculating the working hours. In the case of factories where people work day and night, shifts or jobs where for technical and economical reasons, continuance attendance is required, the ministers shall specify the manner in which the employee may take intervals for rest, prayer and meals.

4. In what situations does overtime exist, and on what basis is it calculated?

If the nature of the job requires overtime, the employee shall be paid overtime and the payment shall be equivalent to the wage paid for the ordinary working hours plus an increase of not less than 25% of his wage for the overtime period. However, if the employee's overtime fall between the hours 9.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. the employee will be entitled to an overtime equivalent to the normal working hours plus an increase of not less than 50% of his wage for the overtime period.

If circumstance of work require the employee to work at the place of work on Friday, he shall be given another day for rest during the week as a substitution or be paid a basic wage plus a minimum of 50% of that wage. However, the employee shall not be asked to work two consecutive Fridays unless his wages are calculated on a daily basis.

In any circumstances, overtime shall not exceed two hours in a day except where work is necessary to prevent big losses, a serious accident or to remove traces of such an accident, or reduce its effects.

The above provisions however, will not be applicable to the following persons.

Persons in a senior position, or in an administrative supervisory role, if such persons have similar authority over employees, as the authority of the employer.
Crews of naval ships and marine employees who enjoy special privileges because of the nature of their work. This does not include port employees engaged in loading and unloading and other related work.