UAE Employees Feel Pressured to Work After Hours: Balancing Legal Rights and Workplace Demands

Shahba Mayyeri -

As the boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur, a recent survey has revealed that half of UAE employees feel pressured to work extra hours. This includes responding to their employers' emails, calls, and messages outside official working hours. This growing trend has sparked discussions on legal and cultural implications, with experts weighing in on the matter.

Hadiel Hussien, a senior associate at BSA Law, clarified that UAE Labour Law, under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, does not mandate employees to respond to employer communications after working hours unless formally instructed as overtime.

“Without formal instructions, casual calls or messages do not constitute working after hours,”

Hussien stated. Overtime requests are capped at two hours per day, and total working hours must not exceed 144 over three weeks. While non-compliance with informal communication has no legal consequences, failure to respond to formal overtime requests can lead to disciplinary action.

Industries Requiring After-Hours Accessibility

Certain roles, especially in healthcare, utilities, and emergency services, require employees to remain reachable beyond official hours. Article 15 of the Labour Law’s Implementing Regulations specifies that supervisory roles and critical operations positions may also require extended availability.

Employee Perspectives

Professionals report mixed feelings about after-hours communication. An HR professional with over 25 years of UAE experience noted,

“Digital tools like WhatsApp have made after-hours communication more common. It can disrupt personal time, especially on weekends.”

Diab Farouk, a senior sales executive, described it as a necessary but sometimes frustrating part of his job.

“While it’s manageable, it does affect work-life balance,”

he said.

Balancing Work-Life Boundaries

Rishab Chandra, founder of TaskTracker Suite, observed a growing trend of 24/7 availability in senior roles.

“Despite efforts to promote work-life balance, remote tools often blur the line between professional and personal time,”

he explained.

Employee Rights and Protections

The Labour Law aims to ensure fair treatment of employees. Workers required to perform overtime are entitled to additional compensation, including higher late-night or rest-day work rates. Employees facing excessive after-hours demands impacting their well-being can seek resolution through company policies or escalate issues to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

As after-hours communication becomes more prevalent, balancing employee rights and workplace demands remains a key concern for the UAE’s evolving labour landscape.

News Source: Khaleej Times