Employees in the UAE among the most hard-working in the world

Nearly half of the workers in the country put in over 49 hours in the office every week

by

Waheed Abbas

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Top Stories

Photo by Neeraj Murali /KT
Photo by Neeraj Murali /KT

Published: Sun 14 May 2023, 9:07 AM

Last updated: Sun 14 May 2023, 5:02 PM

People in the UAE are among the hardest working globally and do the longest hours per week as the pandemic has changed the 9 to 5 workplace culture.

According to a Business Name Generator (BNG) study, the UAE is the world’s third hardest-working country. As per the study, 46.5 per cent of workers are logging 49 or more hours per week in UAE. While the average paid work hours per week total 52.6 in the UAE.


In the list of 150 countries, Malta tops as a staggering 91 per cent of workers spend 49 or more hours per week, the highest out of all countries studied.

Malta is followed by Bhutan, the UAE, Bangladesh, Congo, Mauritius, Lesotho, Maldives, Pakistan and Lebanon.


In addition to its data, BNG included data from the International Labour Organisation on average working hours and the number of workers that regularly work overtime in each country.

The study noted that the modern work environment “has brought about many benefits, such as greater flexibility and the ability to work from anywhere, it has also raised questions about the culture of overworking and its impact on employees.”

SA Butt, a new resident of Dubai who works for a logistics company, puts in nearly nine hours every day and some extra hours sometimes during the month.

“The additional hours that I put in help me to pay off my credit card bills as well dining out. Sometimes, I also remit more money to my family to meet their expenses for major occasions such as Eid and weddings in the relatives. The additional income that I earn after working extra hours helps my family in my home country to meet their expenses,” said the new resident.

Another Dubai resident Kashif Ahmed, who works as a technician in a prominent local company, works for nine hours, but he is asked to stand by for a call in case of any emergency every alternative weekend as his company handles numerous local projects.

“Even though I don’t get urgent calls very often, I still can’t go out too far from my location because I know if I am called, there is certainly a situation where I have to reach as soon as possible. Thus, though I am at home, it feels like I am about to go on duty,” he said.

Deepa Sud, CEO, Plum Jobs, said working lives are extremely fast-paced because employers and customers want a quick turnaround to their needs. And this, in turn, has started to take its toll on employees who must meet deadlines and targets. In most cases, organisations have restructured to be more cost-effective, resulting in employees working longer hours.

“The concept of a 9 – 5 job no longer exists. The definition of smart work is very subjective; however, most people would agree that working hard is about long hours with less efficient processes and systems, whereas working smart is about using optimal processes, technology and the right skills and knowledge,” she said.

Sud added that hard work and smart work complement each other and are the foundation of success.

“Hard work involves investing time and effort to achieve tasks and goals, whilst smart work involves using time and resources effectively to maximise productivity and efficiency. You can achieve smart work by setting clear goals aligned with the mission, prioritising tasks, leveraging technology, and continually improving what you are doing to produce better quality outcomes and results in a shorter time,” Sud added.

According to Business Name Generator, countries such as Israel, Austria, Netherlands, and France sit at the bottom of the ranking, with shorter work weeks and minimal overtime contributing to this.

“While this may suggest a more laid-back approach to work in these nations, it may also reflect a commitment to work-life balance and a focus on personal well-being.”

In the United Kingdom, the City of London has the hardest workers with the most paid hours on average (36) and achieves the highest productivity levels.

In the United States, Utah has emerged as the top-ranking state in the US for the hardest working residents, according to our study.

ALSO READ:


More news from UAE