To increase efficiency and flexibility, the UAE government will begin implementing new work schedules for federal government employees on July 1, 2023. The employing entity must approve these changes. The option for employees to work long hours, also referred to as a “compressed workweek,” is one noteworthy addition. As a result, they can work up to 10 hours per day, four days a week, to finish their entire weekly workweek in fewer days.
The Federal Authority For Government Human Resources (FAHR), in contrast, has refuted reports that employees’ work hours will change and clarified that the compressed workweek is just one of many work options. Its implementation needs specific controls and the appropriate entity’s approval.
The new regulations also give employees the option to switch from part-time to full-time employment or the other way around. A minimum of eight hours and a maximum of 32 hours per week, with employees working one to four days a week, constitutes part-time work.
For employees of the federal government, there are five distinct work patterns that have been established: on-site work, remote work from within the country, remote work from abroad, intensive working hours (compressed workweek), and hybrid work. These patterns provide a range of options to accommodate various job requirements and are dependent on the head of the relevant entity’s approval.
The rules also cover various employment arrangements, including full-time, part-time, temporary, and flexible employment. Part-time employment entails working a predetermined number of hours or days, whereas full-time employment means working the regular daily hours for a federal agency. Working the full day’s hours on a temporary contract for a particular project or task is what is meant by temporary employment. Flexible employment enables changes to working hours or workdays in response to workload, external economic conditions, and internal organizational operational needs.
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