UAE Overtime Rules — Employer Guide

Normal working hours are eight per day or 48 per week unless role exemptions apply. Overtime beyond normal hours must be compensated at prescribed rates — typically basic salary plus 25% for daytime overtime and higher for rest days and public holidays.

Record overtime approvals before payroll. Include overtime in WPS SIF when paid. Do not substitute overtime with time off unless policy and law permit for the employee category.

SMEs often miscalculate entitlements by using calendar days instead of service years, omitting pro-rata for partial years, or failing to document policy exceptions. Keep written policies, approval workflows, and payslip records aligned with MOHRE contract data.

ArcHR encodes UAE labour rules into leave balances, payroll, attendance, and document expiry workflows — with employee self-service so people see entitlements and HR sees audit trails.