Are reduced office hours during Ramadan mandatory in the UAE, and how should overtime be calculated if employees work longer?

Yes — under UAE private sector labour law, companies must reduce daily working hours by two hours during Ramadan for all employees, regardless of religion or whether they are fasting, and failing to do so can lead to MoHRE penalties and labour disputes; once Ramadan hours are reduced, any time worked beyond the shorter schedule is legally treated as overtime and must be paid accordingly — at least 25% above the normal hourly wage for daytime overtime, 50% for nighttime overtime, and either a compensatory day off or 50% extra pay if work is done on a rest day, with only limited exceptions such as certain senior roles and some free-zone regimes like DIFC and ADGM — do you think companies in the UAE implement Ramadan hour reductions fairly and consistently, and how has your workplace handled it?

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