Dubai, The City That Cares: How the UAE Is Redefining Employee Well-being

The world is advancing at an unprecedented rate, and burnout and a tiring lifestyle are becoming increasingly common among employees. The idea of having a work-life balance that we once imagined with all the new ways to work remotely and integrate technology has seemed to do the opposite to us instead. However, Dubai is demonstrating to the world that an economy that flourishes and a society that genuinely cares for one another can be achieved simultaneously.

Dubai’s public work sector employees can now take time off during the hottest time of the year and enjoy an extra day at home with their loved ones, allowing them to get more rest and spend quality time with their families. This is something huge for those who have kids at home or anyone who gets a summer holiday, it's a time where quality time can be spent together, and you can be with your family, unlike the rest of the busy year.

Not only that, but since summer is the hottest time of year, allowing time off is great for morale and productivity. Let's be honest, no one wakes up in the morning and travels in blistering heat wanting to work a nine-to-five.

The temperature in Dubai during the summers can go high, like really high, they can even cross 45°C, and the government is aware of this and knows that it's inhumane to make anyone stand out and work in that weather for hours on end. No one should be exposed to such high heat without some sort of protection.

This is why, every year from mid-June to mid-September, there are mandatory breaks that are strictly enforced across all industries that require outdoor labour. It's strictly prohibited to make anyone work under direct sunlight from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

Anyone who goes against this rule is sure to face a very heavy penalty. This says a lot about how Dubai looks after its laborers, and it shows its responsibility to its workers and their well-being.

The workers who are most often exposed to the summer heat and sun the most are probably delivery riders. This is why Dubai has made thousands of rest stations across the city with proper air conditioning. So it doesn't matter if they take a short break to cool down or wait for the midday ban to lift; they all have a safe space that allows them to relax and recover.

These cooling stations were mandated not only by the government but also through partnerships with multiple private firms such as Careem and Talabat. This just shows that it's not only the government but also a normal standard for the people and the city. Dubai encourages responsibility for its people.

Dubai has launched initiatives that aren't just about work hours, but about prioritizing your personal life and the importance of family, marriage, and being a parent. Currently, new mothers have been allowed to work remotely on Fridays for an entire year and then come back to work after their maternity leave has finished. Moreover, those who have just gotten married are also allowed to take up to 10 days of paid leave and spend time with their partners and begin their new journey in peace, not worrying about coming back to work as soon as possible.

These aren't just policies, but a cultural shift that's being made to emphasize family values and show that you can place your career goals on the same level, it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Earlier in the year, Dubai revealed a new mental health strategy that was worth more than AED 100 million. The main goal of this strategy is to place more importance on the emotional health of employees, just as companies do on physical health. The strategy included programs such as early prevention programs, support tools, burnout prevention, and placed more emphasis on high-pressure industries. Companies are now shifting to giving more flexible hours, resources for mental wellness, and remote work options, and have made this into a normal standard that is the right of employees, not just another perk.

All these motions that have taken place just in the past year show that Dubai isn't just putting all its focus on innovation and growth; they want to make a sustainable environment, and to do that, you need to take care of the most important capital that makes all this possible, your employees. The city values its workers as people before human capital, and the city is becoming more inclusive, stable, and a dream destination that talent all over the world is looking for.