UAE Overtime Rules: Know Your Rights
The Legal Framework
Overtime in the UAE is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021 (the "new Labour Law") which replaced the previous 1980 law. Under Article 17, the standard working day is 8 hours (or 48 hours per week). During Ramadan, working hours are reduced by 2 hours per day for all employees, regardless of religion. Any work beyond normal hours is considered overtime and must be compensated at premium rates. Your employer cannot simply make you work extra hours without proper compensation — it's a legal obligation, not a favour.
How Overtime Pay Is Calculated
The calculation starts with your basic salary only — allowances are excluded. Divide your basic salary by 30 to get the daily rate, then by 8 to get the hourly rate. Normal weekday overtime pays 125% of this hourly rate (the base rate plus 25% supplement). Night overtime (between 10 PM and 4 AM) pays 150%. Friday or rest day work also pays 150%. For example: if your basic salary is AED 6,000, your hourly rate is AED 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 25. Normal overtime pays AED 31.25/hour; night/Friday overtime pays AED 37.50/hour.
Maximum Overtime Limits
The law caps overtime at 2 hours per day. Your employer can only exceed this limit in exceptional circumstances — specifically to prevent a substantial loss, serious accident, or to eliminate the effects of a disaster. This means your employer cannot routinely schedule 12-hour shifts without your consent and proper compensation. If you're consistently working more than 2 hours overtime daily, this may be a labour law violation. Total working hours (normal + overtime) should generally not exceed 144 hours over a 3-week period.
Who's Exempt from Overtime?
Not everyone qualifies for overtime pay. Senior management and supervisory positions are typically exempt — these are roles with authority over business decisions and staff management. The exemption applies to the position's responsibilities, not just the title. If you're called a "manager" but have no supervisory duties, you may still be entitled to overtime. Domestic workers (housemaids, nannies, drivers working in private households) fall under a separate law with different rules. Maritime workers and some oil/gas field workers also have sector-specific regulations.
Friday and Holiday Work
If you work on your designated weekly rest day (Friday for most private-sector employees), you're entitled to 150% of your hourly rate OR a substitute rest day. If the employer provides a substitute rest day, they must still pay the 50% overtime premium for the hours worked. On public holidays (UAE National Day, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, etc.), the same 150% rate applies. Some companies offer even higher rates for holiday work as a matter of company policy, though the law only requires 150%. Always check your contract — some employers specify more generous overtime terms.
What If Your Employer Doesn't Pay?
If your employer refuses to pay overtime or pays below the legal rate, you have several options. First, document everything — keep records of your actual working hours, screenshots of communications asking you to work overtime, and payslips showing what you received. Then file a complaint with MOHRE through the MOHRE app, website, or by calling 600-590000. MOHRE will first attempt mediation. If mediation fails, the case is referred to the Labour Court. You can claim unpaid overtime for up to 1 year retroactively. Many employees don't realize that "I agreed to work without overtime pay" doesn't waive your legal right — you cannot contractually agree to receive less than what the law mandates.
Practical Tips
Always check that overtime appears as a separate line item on your payslip — some employers fold it into "other allowances" or basic pay, making it hard to verify the correct rate. If your employment contract states a higher basic salary than what's filed with MOHRE, the MOHRE-filed contract is what courts will reference. Consider that overtime pay affects your gratuity calculation indirectly — consistently working overtime doesn't increase your basic salary (and therefore gratuity), so negotiate a higher basic if overtime is regular rather than accepting frequent overtime at premium rates.