Thirty-four firms were fined for flouting the midday break rule in the first two weeks of its introduction, officials said yesterday.
The rule stipulates that until September 15, anyone working under the sun or in open places must be given a break from 12.30pm until 3pm.
MORE UAE NEWS: Our pick of today's top local news stories
UAE justice system ranked about US in annual index The UAE justice system has been ranked first in the Middle East and 13th in the world by annual study. Read article
British expatriate tax plans explained Tax experts explain a proposal that would require British nationals in the UAE to pay income tax back home. Read article
Nice wall, but where are the rooms? Modern icons: The UAE has been described as the modern architect's playground with new landmark buildings springing up across the country. Today we take a look at how the Dunes Hotel Apartments became a reality. Read article
MORE UAE NEWS
In the first fortnight of its implementation, Ministry of Labour inspectors visited 9,533 sites. Almost all - 99.7 per cent - were found to be obeying the law.
No offenders were found in Sharjah or Ajman. But there were 11 firms found violating the rule in Ras al Khaimah and 11 in Fujairah. Penalties for companies that fail to provide adequate breaks start at Dh10,000, in addition to a three-month hiring ban.
Second-time offenders are fined Dh15,000 and barred from hiring for six months. A third offence carries a Dh20,000 fine and a nine-month hiring ban.
Under a decree issued by the Minister of Labour, Saqr Ghobash, employers must provide workers with a shaded rest area during the break.
Anyone working for more than eight hours a day must also be paid overtime, while work hours must be printed in Arabic and other languages, and posted where they are clearly visible to staff and ministry officials.
Some workers in time-sensitive jobs are excluded from the break rules, such as those carrying out emergency infrastructure work.
Those who do work during the break must be provided with cold water and dehydration salts. First aid kits and shaded areas must be available on site.
Work may continue indoors during the midday period, said Saleh Al Jabri, the head of the establishments department at the ministry.
osalem@thenational.ae
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
