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Sat, Jan 17, 2026 | Rajab 28, 1447 | Fajr 05:45 | DXB 
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Work from home in UAE: How companies change policies during unstable weather
The 2024 floods became a turning point, prompting managers to prioritise employee safety
When torrential floods swept across the UAE in April 2024, stranding employees for hours and bringing parts of the transport network to a halt, many companies responded by loosening work-from-home rules. The crisis became a turning point, prompting managers to prioritise employee safety and to adopt more accommodating remote-work policies during adverse weather.
Karla M., head of Human Resources at a private company, said that people in her company have the choice to work from home two days a week, a policy that was introduced after the pandemic and later adjusted based on employees’ feedback.
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The HR professional said that in the case of heavy rainfall, like the historic rainstorm that hit the UAE on April 2024, the company management doesn't wait for the employees to ask to work remotely. They prioritise the safety of their employees and the company “incentivises people to stay at home, but we leave it up to them. If they want to come, they can come.”
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She added that the company also took additional measures to ease the burden on employees whose commutes were severely disrupted by flooding. With several metro stations shut and trains running at reduced speeds, the company arranged for drivers to pick up two to three employees at a time who lived in close proximity, significantly reducing commute times during the peak of the disruption.
Not all employees, however, were afforded the same level of flexibility.
Abdul Majid Awan, a former PR professional now working in media, recalled a very different experience during the April 2024 floods. Despite advance weather warnings and guidance from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) encouraging work-from-home arrangements, Awan said he was required to attend the office on the third day of the rains.
“My commute took close to four hours,” he said. “I waited almost two hours for the metro. Trains were running at extremely reduced speeds and several stations were closed due to flooding and breakdowns. What would normally be a manageable commute became physically and mentally exhausting.”
Awan said attendance was mandatory for him and his colleagues, despite the fact that their work could be done remotely. “We were told that not attending in person would result in a day’s salary being deducted,” he said. “I worked for an events company, but all meetings and work were fully possible online.”
The floods reinforced Awan’s belief in remote work as a viable and necessary option. “We already learned this during Covid-19,” he said. “If remote work functioned during a global crisis, it is absolutely possible during extreme weather events.”
He believes work-from-home options should be mandated during emergencies when job roles allow it. “Of course, some jobs require physical presence, but many corporate roles don’t,” he said.
Hind Aldah
Hind Aldah covers business, tech, crypto and all that jazz for a younger audience. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.
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