Working hours in Dubai - crazy or no? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Working hours in Dubai - crazy or no?

16
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 18:35

Hey

Coming from a country where working hours are pretty much set in stone, adjusting to working in media here in Dubai has been difficult. Working in media or marketing (which are my fields) in my home country is pretty much 8h a day - every day.

How are your working hours? Does ANYONE work in a company that would stick to the 9h a day? Should I just adapt or is the grass really greener in other companies than where I work?

Considering that I'm still at a junior level (couple of years into working in media) and my hubby makes most of the money in our family, I'm really starting to question whether it's worth the stress for me to be working 10h days on average...

16
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 November 2011 - 11:30
Oh, definitely never relocating to London, then! I'm all for career and so on but I do prefer spending time with my family over working! Someone once said that when looking back on your life, no one ever said that "I wish I had worked more"... It's always "I wish I had spent more time with family and friends". So true!
341
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 23:59
I left England for a break ... working in the city 6-8 is not a myth .. then getting back and working another 2-3 hours doing reports ...Dubai is a steal on the working week
284
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 23:52
I don't work crazy long hours (thank God!) but I do have friends who work in media (advertising, PR etc) and they work absolutely crazy insane inhumane hours. Some have been at work till 2 or 3 in the morning and back at work by 8 or 9 again... It can sometimes go on for days on end and they also work weekends most of the time. I don't know if this is the norm with the small, more local companies but this is certainly the norm with the larger ones.
5400
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 22:40
Nobody worked in London recently, then?
28
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 22:01
I also find the working hours in Dubai way too long, not at all what I'm used to from back home. But unfortunately it is the norm here and can't really get around it. Even at my job everyone seems to think 10-12 hrs a day plus weekends is not a big deal...just the way life goes in Dubai. Helamima, when you hear something about those part-time jobs, pass the info along :)
179
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 21:47
10 hours a day 6 days a week?? Part time for Dubs I'm afraid xx
16
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 21:06
Haha, okay, I guess I have to just suck it up then! Mental health wise I don't think it's worth it but I don't think I or my marriage could survive not working either - I would probably go mental ;) Now if only they would actually start offering those part-time jobs that I think have been legal now for a couple of months...! I wouldn't mind working 6h days AND enjoying the sun. I can always dream, right?
867
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 19:18
12 hours a day on average is completed normal. When you say 'is it worth it' do you mean career wise or health wise? Career wise...its the only way to get ahead. Health wise & long term....no job at the end of the day is really worth it, health is something you can't replace, but this is life here.:(
687
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 19:11
I have not known anyone in private enterprise to work a 9 hour day since the recession in about 1990! Not if you wanted to keep your job or progress at least. My DH is in marketing and he and his team are on call right around the clock. They take meetings on weekends, in the middle of the night or even early hours of the morning. "Global Village" etc... time zones are irrelevant these days it seems for some professions.
2362
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 18:45
12 hour days are the norm here, i'm afraid. as we have discussed on here before, yes we have the sunshine and tax free salary, but boy, they squeeze every drop out of you when you're working!
3804
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 09 November 2011 - 18:37
If you're working 10 hrs a day in those fields, consider yourself lucky. All the people I know working in those fields are pulling 12-14 hour days and generally working 6 or 7 days a week.
 
 

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