Flexible summer work hours initiative announced by Dubai Government
‘Our Flexible Summer’ initiative returns to Dubai
After a successful pilot test in 2024, Our Flexible Summer, Dubai Government’s flexible work summer program will be implemented across all government entities. This was announced by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR).
Set to roll out across all government entities, the initiative aligns with the Year of Community and is designed to promote a healthier work-life balance and will be running from July 1 to September 12, 2025. While the rollout has been made available for all, it will be implemented on the discretion of the specific entities.
The specifics
According to Dubai Media Office, employees will follow one of two flexible schedules in alignment with the official five-day work week. The first set will work eight hours daily from Monday to Thursday, receiving Friday off. Alternatively, the second group will work seven hours Monday to Thursday, and 4.5 hours on Friday.
Why do we need this?
The overall aim of the initiative is to promote a healthier life and overall wellbeing of the government workforce. Meant to enhance work-life balance, the program will foster a more supportive work environment, increase employee satisfaction and productivity, and also strengthen family ties, all important aspects of a healthy foundation for society.
The results speak for themselves. Post the pilot phase, which was implemented across 21 government entities in 2024, the results showed enhanced productivity and improved work environments.
The data showed an increase in employee satisfaction and happiness of up to 98%, while assessments under the Dubai Government Excellence Programme highlighted clear improvements in the performance of participating entities.
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Elsewhere in the world, remote working and flexible working policies have been piloted in many parts of the world, including several countries in Europe, with promising results.
A survey conducted by CIPD UK in 2023 showed that of 83% of the organisations that have hybrid working, 38% reported increased productivity and 46% say employees are more productive at home or with hybrid work models.
Economist Impact/Google’s 2023 flexible work barometer, with 900 executives globally, showed that more than 90% of companies now offer flexibility in time or location. 82% of executives say productivity improved and 77% – 82% report benefits across wellbeing, innovation and financial performance.
A 1,600-employee study published in Nature showed hybrid work maintained productivity and promotion rates, while reducing turnover by 33%.
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