Work & money · Calculator

Working hours and overtime calculator

For private sector employees in the UAE. Enter your basic salary and your extra hours, and see the least the Labour Law says you must be paid.

Basic monthly salary AED Basic salary only, as in your contract. Overtime is worked out on the basic wage, not on allowances.

Normal hours a day Days worked a week

The law allows at most 8 normal hours a day or 48 a week.

My extra hours are for

Extra hours, daytime Outside 10 pm to 4 am Extra hours at night Between 10 pm and 4 am

Rest days or public holidays worked

For those days, you get

Hourly wage worked out as The law says overtime is based on the basic wage but gives no formula for the hourly rate. Both ways are used; ÷ 30 matches the law's rule that a month counts as 30 days and gives a slightly higher rate.

Runs on your phone. Nothing is uploaded or saved.

The rules

8 hours a day, 48 a week

That is the most normal working time. You should not work more than 5 hours in a row without a break, and breaks add up to at least 1 hour a day.

At least +25%

Each overtime hour is paid at your basic hourly wage plus at least 25%.

At least +50% at night

Overtime between 10 pm and 4 am is paid at your basic hourly wage plus at least 50%. This does not apply to shift workers.

Rest days and holidays

If you work on your rest day or a public holiday, you get another day off, or that day's pay plus at least 50% of your basic daily wage.

2 hours a day at most

Overtime should not go over 2 hours a day, and all your working hours together should not go over 144 hours in 3 weeks. Going further is allowed only to prevent a serious loss or accident.

Ramadan: 2 hours less

In Ramadan, normal working hours in the private sector are 2 hours shorter a day, for the same pay. In 2026 the Ministry confirmed this and allowed flexible or remote work within those hours. Work past the shorter day can count as overtime.

Who is not covered by these limits:

Chairs and members of the board, and managers or supervisors who have the employer's powers
Sea crews and workers at sea with special conditions
Shift work where the average is not over 56 hours a week, and some preparatory work
Government jobs, and free zones with their own law, such as DIFC and ADGM

These are the legal minimums: your contract may pay more. This is an estimate, not legal advice. Check with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

Leaving a job? Try the gratuity and final settlement calculator. Off sick or having a baby? Try the leave pay calculator.

Sources: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations (UAE Labour Law): Article 1 (basic wage), Article 17(1) (at most 8 hours a day or 48 a week) and 17(4) (Ramadan hours set by the Executive Regulation), Article 18 (no more than 5 hours in a row; breaks of at least 1 hour), Article 19(1) (overtime up to 2 hours a day; 144 hours every 3 weeks), 19(2) (basic wage plus at least 25%), 19(3) (10 pm to 4 am: plus at least 50%; shift workers excluded), 19(4) (rest day: another day off or plus at least 50% of the basic daily wage), Article 28(2) (public holidays: another day off or plus at least 50%) and Article 67 (a month counts as 30 days, a year as 365). Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Executive Regulation): Article 15(2) (Ramadan: 2 hours less a day), 15(3) (2-hour daily cap and its exceptions) and 15(4) (who is excluded). Both texts as published on the UAE Legislation portal (uaelegislation.gov.ae). MOHRE news, 12 February 2026: private sector hours cut by 2 hours a day in Ramadan, with flexible or remote work allowed. Neither the law nor the regulation sets a formula for the hourly wage. Covers the private sector under federal law only; free zones such as DIFC and ADGM have their own rules, and government jobs differ. u.ae, "Working hours and overtime" (private sector). Last checked: 27 Oct 2026.