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The Labour Ministry has warned that companies that do not comply with rules regarding reduced working hours during
Ramadan face punishment, including having employee visas cancelled. Pawan Singh / The National

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DUBAI // Staff should not be forced into making up lost hours because of
the reduced working day during Ramadan, recruitment experts and the
Ministry of Labour have warned.
The ministry has ordered that the working day be cut by two hours during the
holy month, for Muslim and non-Muslim staff.

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12/Jul/2016 1:46 PM

UAE Ministry of Labour warns over Ramadan working hours | The National

3 of 6

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/ramadan-hours-are-not-lost-hours-ministry-of-labour...

Working harder isnt

always smart

Companies that do not comply face punishments including having

employees visas cancelled, which would be a considerable financial burden.

Inspectors will make

sure companies abide by
reduced hours

Staff who are forced to work extra hours can register a complaint with the
ministry, said Hamza Zaouali, chief executive of Emirati recruitment
company Iris Executives.

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Topics: Dubai
How and where to
complain
DUBAI // Employees can
call the Ministry of Labour
helpline, visit a service
centre or send a signed
letter of complaint.
Staff can complain at
Tasheel service centres,
by calling 800-665, or
presenting a letter signed
by all the workers affected
at the ministrys labour
disputes departments.
The director of the labour
office and the inspections
department will follow up
the complaint, check if the
company abides by the
ministerial decree
regulating working hours
during Ramadan, and take
steps to settle any
problem, a ministry
spokesman said.
A decision by Saqr
Ghobash, Minister of
Labour, is published each

The ministry is only one call away, said Mr Zaouali. My advice to

companies that do not treat this seriously is watch out for complaints.

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Muslims and non-Muslims have equal rights before the labour law and
Ramadan hours apply to everyone and are not time that should be
recovered.
A ministry spokesman said work was reduced by two hours for all employees
in all enterprises, institutions and private sector companies without a wage
cut during Ramadan.
Some staff said they worked normal hours after making compromises with
their employer, such as having other holidays off.
To balance it out we dont work on Christmas and New Year, said an
advertising agency employee, who did not want to be identified. We dont
work less hours during Ramadan when our Muslim friends leave early, so
taking the other holidays evens it out for non-Muslims.
Experts urged consistency to avoid any feelings of discrimination or
favouritism.
The labour law should be implemented rigorously, said Zack Abdi, managing
director of human resources consultancy Provectus Middle East.
There should be no different treatment based on religion and nationality
because this sows the seed of disunity in the workplace.
If you want to create a team, dont treat staff differently. Ramadan hours
are for all, whether a doorman or chief executive, whatever their religion or
nationality.
Companies must treat staff as assets. This will not happen if some are let
off early.
In some cases, non-Muslim staff have been told to work an extra day to
make up for reduced hours.

12/Jul/2016 1:46 PM