Midday break for UAE laborers from June 15 to Sept. 15

The mandatory three-month-long summer midday break for outdoor workers will begin from June 15, the UAE Labor Ministry has announced.
The midday break rule bans all companies to force laborers to carry out any sort of work under direct sunlight between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. for three months from June 15 to September 15.
"The midday work ban has entered its 10th year now, confirming the ministry s commitment toward human and labor rights by ensuring them work in a suitable and safe environment. This is considered one of the most prominent and important initiatives which handles preventive measures to protect workers from the risks of working under direct sunlight with extreme high temperatures,” Mubarak Saeed Al-Dhaheri, undersecretary of the ministry, told journalists.
The rule urges business owners to provide shaded areas for the workers during their break period and to completely cease work. The decision also refers the owners to adapt to eight daily working hours and compensate laborers working overtime according to the provisions of Federal Law No. 08 of 1980.
Violators will be fined 15,000 dirhams, the officials stressed.
"We have formed 18 teams of specialized inspectors to follow up on this particular issue, making sure that all companies are following the decision correctly, we will also conduct random visits as part of our awareness campaigns to publicize the decision and its implications and stress its importance," said Maher Al Obed, assistant undersecretary for the Inspection Department.
“The violators will be fined if found forcing laborers, regardless of their profession, working under direct sunlight. Moreover, if the issue was involving a huge number of workers on the recorded worksite, the company s profile will be sent to the minister’s office, where it might face temporary suspension from operations plus a reduction in its classification level," Al-Dhaheri explained.