Dubai introduces a four-day working week to government staff

The Dubai government has formally implemented a four-day temporary working week for all public sector workers. That might be us, but you’re playing.

Dubai’s new work week will now involve all government staff members who will be divided into two groups. The first one will work eight hours a day, but make sure Friday is thoroughly clear. The second will still work 4.5 hours on Friday, but only seven hours on other days.

Such changes will take effect from July 1 to September 12, when Dubai government workers may be obliged to return to their usual five-day schedule. The four-day working week is part of our flexible summer plan for Dubai in 2025.

“This initiative demonstrates our firm commitment to strengthening the government’s work environment and making it more adaptable to the needs of our employees and communities,” said Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Minister of Human Resources of the Dubai Government. “This supports Dubai’s desire to provide flexible, sustainable and people-centered government services.”

The four-day working week in Dubai comes after a trial involving 21 government entities in 2024. The experiment resulted in a 98% increase in overall employee satisfaction and an increase in worker productivity and well-being. Nevertheless, despite these results and the positive results of previous experiments by other organizations, the Dubai government seems not ready for a more permanent change.

Is the future of a four-day working week?

Over the years, many organizations around the world have tried shorter work weeks, which have repeatedly reported positive results. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders also reiterated his continued support for the four-day work week last month, believing that there is no reason or reason to get a four-day work week if advocates for AI-enhancing workers claim.

“[A four-day work week is] “It’s not a radical idea. There are companies around the world that have succeeded,” Sanders said.

Companies that have tried it include Microsoft in Japan, which announced in 2019 that its four-day work cycle trial increased productivity by 40%. New Zealand company permanent guardians saw a 20% increase in productivity in their own trials, prompting them to move to a permanent four-day working week in 2018. Both organizations also save on reduced power costs.

Iceland conducted a four-day work week trial between 2015 and 2019 and found that nearly 3,000 workers involved were happier, healthier and more productive. A similar 2022 UK trial also produced favorable results, with the vast majority of participating organizations still operating during a four-day working week one year after the study was published. Belgium also approved a four-day work week in 2022, allowing workers to demand longer 10 hours in exchange for a day’s rest, while Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic has launched an optional four-day work week.

However, despite years of trials that have spanned the world, leading to a wealth of evidence that benefits both for employers and employees, a four-day work week remains a rare pattern. While companies portray themselves as forward-looking and popular with cutting-edge thinking, few seem to be willing to really follow and adopt changes that have been widely tested and scientifically supported with obvious good returns.