Ramadan 2025 in UAE: Can employees be asked to work during iftar hours?
Question: I run a small company in a free zone in Dubai. Can you list the office-related rules I need to follow during the holy month of Ramadan? I may need a couple of staff members to work during iftar hours. What are the rules then?
Answer: In the UAE, an employee is entitled to two hours of reduced working hours per day during Ramadan.
The law states: 'The implementing regulation hereof specifies the working hours in Ramadan.
Article 15(2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 on the Implementation of Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulations of Employment Relations (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022), which states:
'Subject to the provisions of Article 17 of the Decree Law:
The regular working hours shall be reduced by two hours during the holy month of Ramadan.'
If an employee works beyond the regular hours of employment which are stipulated for the month of Ramadan, such additional time of employment may be considered overtime.
For overtime, an employee may receive a pay additional to their regular salary, with at least an increase of 25 per cent. This is in accordance with the Article 19 (2) of the Employment Law, which states,
'If the work conditions necessitate that the employee works for more than the normal working hours, the excess period shall represent overtime, for which the worker shall receive a salary equal to the salary corresponding to the normal working hours, which is calculated according to the basic salary plus an increase of not less than 25 per cent of that salary.'
Based on the aforementioned provision of the law, you are required to reduce your employees' working hours by two hours during Ramadan.
As an employer, you are obligated to grant an iftar break to all Muslim employees. However, if you need to have your entity operations continue during iftar breaks/hours, you may employ non-Muslim employees during this period.
Therefore, you may consider either having employees in shifts to fulfil your business requirements or you may also extend working hours for certain employees by paying them overtime payments (only if they are not in managerial or supervisory designations).
Furthermore, as your company is regulated by a free zone, it is advisable to confirm if any specific regulations within your free zone impose additional requirements or guidelines regarding working hours during Ramadan.
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