Private companies give staff extended Eid break

Some private sector employers are giving their staff additional leave this week for Eid Al Adha to take them into the following weekend.

The official holiday for the private sector begins tomorrow, with employees returning to work on Thursday.

But a post on the Abu Dhabi Q&A Facebook page shows some companies are bending the rules to give their workers more time off.

One man said his employer was giving staff Thursday off as a paid holiday.

“Our group chief executive’s message was that holidays are best time to spend with families, so considering this they extended our holiday to make it a long weekend,” he said.

Kim Rentosa, 30, a technical assistant with Aramoon Pipe Inspection and Rehabilitation, said employees at her company had asked whether they could swap their days to link the holiday to a weekend and the management agreed.

“We will be working on the 20th and get a compensation on Thursday,” said Ms Rentosa, who is going to the Philippines for a break between August 21 and September 5 with additional annual leave. “It will be a long weekend for us.”

Hans Pajarillo, 30, a chemist from the Philippines who has been living in the UAE for five years, said he normally worked a half-day on Thursdays.

“Our company moved our Thursday work to Monday so that we can have a long weekend. Thank you Arab Centre for Engineering Studies,” he wrote.

But not everyone has been as fortunate. Several employees said they had only been given two days off by their companies, despite the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s announcement that the holiday will be three days for private sector staff.

“Tuesday, Wednesday only,” wrote one.

Others said they were given the opportunity to move their days off but then management changed their minds.

“Initially, management agreed to make the changes to make it a long weekend for everyone,” said one group member.

“But the very next day after the declaration they changed the days. Now we have to work on Sunday and Thursday.

“No long weekend for us. But for Muslim employees, we have the option of taking the Thursday off but it will be from annual leave, of course.”

Some employers do as they please with time off despite the official guidance