Time of the essence

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Potential changes? The government is currently considering an amendment to the labour laws which would enforce a two-day weekend.

Working long hours comes with the territory in the construction industry.

With sites operating around-the-clock in an attempt to finish projects at record speed, putting in the overtime is an unavoidable part of the job.

And for most contractors in the Gulf, the heavy workload means that the luxury of having two days off at the weekend is something that can only be dreamt about.

The long-practiced six-day working week is prevalent in the industry across the region, but it is a practice that is coming under increasing scrutiny. As contractors battle with mounting staff shortages, many say the problem is being compounded as employees unhappy with tough working hours, jump ship to project management or consultancy firms -lured by the prospect of a five-day week and a better lifestyle.

So much so, many contractors are beginning to assess the possibility of switching to a five-day week in the hope that it would help with staff retention, as well as boost morale and productivity.

But in an environment of intense competition and struggle to meet deadlines, will anyone really dare to take the plunge and reduce staff working hours?

According to Steve McConnachie, general manager, Al Masaood Bergum, longer breaks have helped increase output.

While he admits that scaling down to a five-day week would be tough, the company has taken steps to ensure its staff have more time off.

"We sent a questionnaire out and asked people which hours they wanted to work; within reason. We gave them choices that wouldn't be to the detriment of the business," he said.

"So now we operate a rota system to do a five-and-a-half-day week as opposed to a six-day week. We found that working the same hours for a five-day week, every other week, gave a 17% increase in output. And then the half-day we have every other week is like a casual day."

The government of Dubai is currently considering an amendment to the labour law, which would enforce a two-day weekend in the private sector, bringing standards more in line with international norms.

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