How Is Overtime Calculated in the UAE?

The formula, step by step

Rules employers must follow

• Cap: no more than 2 overtime hours per day (except with special MOHRE permission)
• Night premium: 9 PM to 4 AM counts as night — except for shift workers, who get the standard 25%
• Day off work: if you must work your weekly rest day, you get a substitute day off or basic + 50%
• Senior/managerial roles: some are exempt from overtime rules — check your contract
• Overtime must appear as a separate line on your payslip

Common disputes

The most frequent complaint: overtime calculated on total salary instead of basic (wrong — it's basic), or not paid at all for "all-in" contracts. Unless your contract explicitly states a higher all-inclusive salary in place of overtime, the statutory rates apply. Unpaid overtime can be claimed through MOHRE.

Worked example: night-shift overtime on AED 8,000 basic

A warehouse supervisor in Dubai earns a basic salary of AED 8,000 and works two overtime hours a night for a week, from 10 PM to midnight. Here is the full math:

1. Hourly rate: 8,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 33.33
2. Night overtime rate: 33.33 × 1.50 = AED 50 per hour
3. Per night (2 hours): 2 × 50 = AED 100
4. Five nights: 5 × 100 = AED 500 for the week

Note the cap: two hours a night is the daily legal maximum, so this schedule sits exactly at the limit. If the same five nights had been daytime overtime instead, the weekly total would be 5 × 2 × 33.33 × 1.25 = AED 416.67 — the night premium adds roughly 20% more. Over a month of similar weeks that is about AED 2,000 of extra pay, which is why checking that your employer applies the 50% night multiplier (not the 25% day one) is worth real money.

Ramadan, rest days and public holidays: the edge cases

The 25%/50% multipliers do not change during Ramadan — but many employers shorten the working day, so overtime can start earlier in the day than usual. Any hour above your normal schedule is overtime, paid at the same statutory rates on your basic salary.

Working your weekly rest day carries a stronger protection: your employer must give you a substitute day off, or pay basic salary plus 50% for the hours worked that day — on top of your normal weekly pay. In practice, ask for the substitute day off in writing before agreeing to rest-day work; once the pay cycle closes, getting the day back is much harder.

For public holidays, the same discipline applies: get any extra-pay or day-in-lieu arrangement confirmed in writing before you work, and verify it appears on your payslip as a separate line alongside your overtime. Verbal promises made during a busy holiday roster are the ones most often "forgotten" at payroll time.

Evidence checklist: before you file a MOHRE complaint

Unpaid overtime claims succeed or fail on paperwork. Before approaching MOHRE, assemble this file — complaints with complete evidence are resolved far faster:

• Your contract — the page showing your basic salary, since overtime is calculated on basic, not total
• Three months of payslips — highlight where overtime is missing or calculated on the wrong base
• Attendance records — biometric logs, timesheets, or shift rosters showing the extra hours
• Proof the overtime was assigned — messages, emails, or roster notices from a supervisor
• Your written follow-up — at least one message to HR asking for the missing pay, with their reply or the date they ignored it
• WPS/bank credits — bank statements showing what was actually paid versus what the payslip claims

File through the MOHRE app, website, or by calling 80060, and keep every reference number. If the dispute overlaps with the end of your employment, roll the unpaid overtime into your final settlement calculation so nothing is left unclaimed — and check our guide on notice period pay if the dispute affects your last working month.