In the UAE, a four-and-a-half-day workweek increased stress for some employees — The National
A study among employees in the UAE found that a four-and-a-half-day workweek increases motivation and improves work-life balance, but makes working days more intense for some people. The National reports on the survey results.
According to the study, 70.9% of respondents reported higher motivation, while 73.6% reported a better work-life balance. More than four out of five survey participants preferred this schedule to a traditional five-day workweek.
Rest and workload
At the same time, 37% of respondents said their working days had become more stressful because they had to complete the same tasks in less time. The researchers stressed that a four-and-a-half-day workweek does not simply make work easier, but redistributes demands and increases work intensity on working days.
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The survey covered 155 employees, mainly from the public sector and education. Its authors cautioned that the findings do not reflect the situation across the entire UAE labor market. The paper was published in the International Social Science Journal. The study was led by Zayed University professor Linda Smail, who conducted it together with Muawiya Al-Awad, director of the university's Institute for Social and Economic Research.
Company practices
Since 2022, UAE federal government employees have had time off from Friday afternoon through Saturday and Sunday, while the emirate of Sharjah introduced a full three-day weekend. Approaches in the private sector vary. Dubai public relations and communications company TishTash Group made its four-and-a-half-day schedule permanent after a three-month trial and reported improved staff retention and performance.
Meanwhile, Dubai accounting and professional services company Nishe did not extend its four-day-week experiment, which began in the summer of 2024. Its founder and managing director, Nashida S. S., explained this by the need to remain available to clients and by differing conditions for employees with unequal client workloads. Representatives of recruitment companies also noted that reduced working hours require a review of processes, and that this format may be more difficult for sectors with continuous operations and customer service.
