UAE: How many breaks can employees take during work hours?

Question: What does the UAE employment law say about employees taking breaks during work hours? My colleagues and I work for a mainland UAE company. Whenever we take a break, our boss tells us to return to work as we are expected to use the full 9.5 hours productively. Please advise.

Answer: In the UAE, an employee is entitled to break(s) between working hours (if required in intervals) which may be not less than one hour in aggregate.

Furthermore, an employee may not work for more than five (5) consecutive hours in a day without a break. This is in accordance with Article 18 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations (the “Employment Law”), which states, “The employee may not work over five (5) consecutive hours without one or more breaks which shall amount in aggregate to not less than one hour, provided that such break(s) shall not be calculated as part of the working hours. Working hours and breaks in the Establishment shall be regulated by shifts, or for certain categories depending on their nature – such as on-site positions – and as per the manpower classification specified in the Executive Regulations of this Decree-Law.”

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In addition, the maximum working hours for an employee in the UAE should not exceed 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. This is in accordance with Article 17(1) of the Employment Law: “The maximum normal working hours for employees shall be (8) eight hours per day or (48) forty-eight hours per week.”

Additionally, an employer calling upon an employee to work for more than eight hours without any overtime payment may lead to employment by force.

This is in accordance with Article 14(1) of the Employment Law, which states, "An employer may not use any means susceptible of obliging or forcing the employee, or threatening him with any penalty, to work for him, or forcing him to do a work or deliver a service against his will."

Based on the aforementioned provisions of law, you as an employee may not work for more than five consecutive hours without taking breaks and overall you may avail one hour of break time per working day.

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