From today, July 1, until August 31 construction companies who have employees working in the open (under the direct heat of the sun), are compelled to give their staff a mid-day break from 12.30 to 3pm.
This is on the instructions of the Minister of Labour, whose office has determined that these two months are the hottest time of the year in the UAE.
Any company violating the decision will be fined and named in the media, with increasing penalties on subsequent violations.
When the decision was first announced this year a number of companies complained it would affect their construction schedule and have financial consequences.
However, this is somewhat ingenuous of them, since a similar decision was taken on humanitarian grounds last year, and the break was longer than this year.
For the sake of better labour relations and a healthier workforce, employers must abide by the decision they are being watched.
