3-day weekend in UAE: Employees who enjoy shorter workweek say they 'work to live and not the other way round'

They believe that the system leads to better work-life balance

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by

Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 9 Aug 2022, 11:41 AM

Last updated: Sun 8 Jan 2023, 2:00 PM

Employees working in the companies that offer 3-day weekends say that people should not only look at salaries but also the work-life balance that companies provide to their employees.

The trend among the UAE-based companies is growing increasingly toward a three-day weekend and hybrid models where staff meet once a week and work remotely during the rest of the days.

Most of the companies that are introducing a three-day weekend come from the marketing and communications sector. Some of them are JRN Consultancy, POP Communications and Active DMC. Many more firms have embraced a four-and-a-half day work-week in line with the public sector.

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Aya Nebaya, PR and marketing manager at Dubai-based JRN Consultancy, says job-seekers must take into account personal well-being and work-life balance before they accept a role in a new company.

“When looking for a job, people often accept the offer because of the salary, forgetting that it’s not the most important component one should ask for. We owe our time to ourselves, our families and our bodies too! It's not all about work and money. We work to live not the other way around,” says Nebaya.

“For us and the new generation entering the workforce, flexibility in terms of hours and having personal time to rest, recharge and enjoy life is equally important as monetary compensation,” says Natasha Hajee, senior account director at JRN Consultancy.

“All my friends are jealous of the fact that I get to enjoy long weekends every weekend!”

Cecilia Menorca, head of operations, POP Communications, says she really enjoys this new approach as she is able to finish her work within the deadline period even during the four-day workweek.

“But if there are weeks when I cannot, having Friday as a cushion is key for me. Alleviating the pressure to complete tasks within a certain time frame and knowing you have another day already makes for a better work/life balance,” says Menorca.

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Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 9 Aug 2022, 11:41 AM

Last updated: Sun 8 Jan 2023, 2:00 PM

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