UAE Labour Law: Can employees refuse overtime or holiday work?

Question: I am a company owner, and I want to know, according to the labour law, how overtime is paid, as well as compensation for working on official holidays. Does the employee have the legal right to refrain from working overtime or working on holidays?  Please advise.

Answer: According to Article 19 of the Labour Law, the worker shall receive a wage equal to that corresponding to his normal working hours - calculated according to the basic wage - plus an increase of at least 25% of such wage.

If circumstances of work necessitate that the worker works overtime between 10 pm and 4 am, he shall be entitled to the wage determined for normal working hours - calculated according to the basic wage - plus an increase equal to at least 50% of such wage. Shift workers shall be excluded from the above.

If circumstances of work necessitate that the worker works on the rest day specified in the employment contract or the work organisational regulation, he shall be compensated with another rest day, or with payment of the wage for that day according to the wage established for normal business days, plus an increase not less than 50% of the basic wage for that day.

The worker may not be required to work for more than two consecutive rest days, excluding day labourers.

The worker doesn’t have the right to refrain from working overtime or on holidays If circumstances of work require it, provided that the extra working hours do not exceed two hours per day and one hundred and forty-four (144) hours every (3) three weeks.