Dubai announces four-day working week for government employees over summer
The Dubai Government has announced a four-day working week with shorter daily hours for many government staff this summer.
Employees will be divided into two groups. The first will work eight hours from Monday to Thursday with Friday as a full holiday, while the second will work seven hours from Monday to Thursday and work a half-day on Fridays. The initiative will run from July 1 to September 12.
It follows a pilot plan last summer, launched by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, called Our Summer is Flexible.
Staff were asked to fill out a survey on summer working hours, and proposals to cut office time in August and September received great support.
The human resources department monitored observations and feedback, concluding that the pilot was successful enough to run for another year.
Abdullah Al Falasi, director general of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said of the pilot: 'We aim to improve the quality of life of employees and enhance the sustainability of government resources, which ultimately contributes to consolidating Dubai's global position as a preferred city for living and working by providing a new model experience that integrates the elements of quality of life.'
A growing trend?
Sharjah introduced a four-day working week in 2022, after the UAE government switched to a four-and-half day week in January that year.
The biggest trial of a four-day working week took place in the UK in 2022. Afterwards, most of the 61 companies involved pledged to continue with the policy, while a third said they had switched to the new model permanently.
None of the 2,900 trial participants wanted to return to a five-day week and all the companies involved reported lower stress and better health among employees.
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