The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has implemented a prohibition on working outdoors and in direct sunlight between 12:30 pm and 3 pm each day, effective from the 15th of June to the 15th of September 2023.
If an employee is required to work beyond the eight-hour limit, the extra time will be considered overtime, entitling the employee to compensation.
In line with Ministerial Resolution No. (44) of 2022 on Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Accommodation, the midday break aims to provide a work environment that protects workers from occupational hazards and prevents work-related injuries or illnesses.
Mohsen Al Nassi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Inspection Affairs at MoHRE, said, “The health and safety of workers is the cornerstone of labour market legislation, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is committed to creating the necessary conditions to ensure a safe work environment for them.
“The midday work break, which is being implemented for the 19th year in a row, is in line with the highest professional and humane standards designed to protect workers from potential risk of injury resulting from high temperatures during the summer, especially at noon.”
“The decision to ban work at midday is a notable milestone for the labour market and an integral part of work environment regulations in the UAE and of our community culture, where the Ministry’s partners and other individuals launch a range of initiatives during the summer months to provide supplies that protect workers from exposure, heat exhaustion, and sunstroke,” he added.