If you regularly finish at 8pm on a contract that says 6pm, the question is not whether you are dedicated. It is whether you are owed money.
UAE labour law sets clear limits on hours and clear premiums for overtime. Most employees never claim them because they never learned the numbers. Here they are.
The legal limits on your hours
Under Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021, the standard maximum is 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Your contract can set fewer hours, never more as the norm.
The main adjustments:
- Ramadan: normal working hours reduce by 2 hours a day for all employees, with no pay cut.
- Overtime cap: an employer may ask for up to 2 extra hours a day; beyond that only in genuinely exceptional circumstances.
- Commuting between home and work does not count as working time, but travel between work sites during the day generally does.
Some roles sit outside the hours rules entirely, most notably senior managerial and supervisory positions with hiring or firing authority. If that is you, your contract is what protects you, so negotiate it carefully.
How overtime pay is calculated
Overtime is paid on your basic hourly rate, not your full package rate. The premiums:
- Standard overtime: basic hourly rate plus 25%.
- Night overtime (10pm to 4am): basic hourly rate plus 50%. Shift workers on rotating schedules are excluded from the night premium.
A quick worked example. Basic salary AED 9,000 a month. Hourly rate: 9,000 ÷ 30 days ÷ 8 hours = AED 37.50. One hour of standard overtime pays 37.50 × 1.25 = AED 46.90. The same hour at 11pm pays 37.50 × 1.5 = AED 56.25.
Ten overtime hours a month at the standard rate is roughly AED 469 on that salary. Over a year, that is more than half a month's basic pay.
Rest days and public holidays
You are entitled to at least one paid rest day per week; many employers give two. If your employer requires you to work your rest day, the law gives you either a substitute day off or your daily wage plus a 50% premium.
Public holidays are paid days off. Working one triggers similar compensation, and short-notice demands are a common flashpoint; see our guide on being made to work public holidays without notice.
What to do if you are not being paid overtime
- Check your contract and offer letter for your stated hours and any clause on overtime. A clause cannot waive rights below the legal minimum.
- Keep your own record: badge logs, emails sent late, roster screenshots. Disputes are won on evidence.
- Raise it in writing with HR first. Many cases are payroll errors, and a written trail protects you either way.
- File a MOHRE complaint if it is not fixed. The process is free and starts with mediation; the steps mirror our salary dispute guide.
Retaliating against you for a legitimate complaint can amount to arbitrary dismissal, which carries compensation of up to 3 months' pay.
Key takeaway
The legal ceiling is 8 hours a day and 48 a week, and every overtime hour is worth at least 125% of your basic hourly rate, 150% at night. Keep your own record of hours, because the employee with evidence wins the mediation.
FAQ
Is a 6-day week legal in the UAE?
Yes, as long as total hours stay within 48 per week and you get at least one rest day. Many companies have moved to 5 days, but 6-day weeks remain lawful.
Can I refuse overtime?
Within the legal limit of 2 extra hours a day, reasonable overtime requests are generally part of the job. What you can insist on is being paid the correct premium for every extra hour.
Does unpaid "voluntary" late working count as overtime?
If your employer requires or knowingly accepts the extra hours, they are overtime regardless of what they are called. Informal arrangements are exactly why you should keep written records.
Are managers entitled to overtime pay?
Usually not. Senior managerial and supervisory roles are exempt from the working hours provisions, so their extra hours are unpaid unless the contract says otherwise.
