# Workday?



## CHFIII (Mar 21, 2014)

So I've read that people work mornings, take off the middle of the day then go back to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Is that accurate or an example of Internet common wisdom being more common than wise?

How do people handle it? Go home and come back - two extra commutes per day at the hottest time?

I think I'd be more inclined to use that time to get work done after morning meetings and prep for afternoon meetings so I'm not taking work home at night...

What's typical in senior management? IT sector...


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## ficklemiss (Apr 22, 2013)

CHFIII said:


> So I've read that people work mornings, take off the middle of the day then go back to avoid the hottest part of the day.
> 
> Is that accurate or an example of Internet common wisdom being more common than wise?
> 
> ...


Normal working hours for expats are as you would expect in the UK/US. As we've only been here since August, I'll leave to the old timers to try and explain the vagaries of public sector offices 

Schools start early so I start at 8am and finish at 2:30 to be able to drop off/pick up and the ficklemr gets into his office around the same time and works on through until 6ish. As far as I can tell, no-one wants to leave a nice air conditioned office in the middle of the day


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## CHFIII (Mar 21, 2014)

ficklemiss said:


> Normal working hours for expats are as you would expect in the UK/US. As we've only been here since August, I'll leave to the old timers to try and explain the vagaries of public sector offices
> 
> Schools start early so I start at 8am and finish at 2:30 to be able to drop off/pick up and the ficklemr gets into his office around the same time and works on through until 6ish. As far as I can tell, no-one wants to leave a nice air conditioned office in the middle of the day


That makes much better sense - I had hoped that would be the case. Not a big fan of spending a large chunk of my day looking at another car's back bumper and since I know I'd work through anyway it's better. Thanks!


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

It's only the laborers / construction workers who take three hours off in the middle of the day and only when the temperature is above a certain degree. This is legally mandated and makes sense given that they work outdoors. 

The rest of us have the same working hours year round. I work 9-6, although I'm usually in the office by 8 anyway.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

Sun - Thurs 9-5 (for me anyway) and my mates also work Sun - Thurs


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

Urgh - Split Shifts - you can keep them, that's a good enough reason for me to not work for a company that calls for that style of working.

You're right, it makes for four commutes a day as most people would go home. When I last worked a split shift (in Kuwait prior to the last Iraqi 'war') almost the whole country did it and as a result there was nothing open during the break that you could spend your time at. Used to find it SO boring, that I had been pushing the company to get away from this work style, it stems back to the time when staff would be too hot to work during the mid-day period but in these days of A/C I don't think that it works any longer, especially in office based businesses.


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## CHFIII (Mar 21, 2014)

Sounds good to me. Haven't found anything to talk me out of the move yet if the right opportunity can be found. I will endeavor to keep count of the dumb questions I bother you with between now and then so I can figure out how much to budget for the dinner I will owe you guys once settled ;-). Have a feeling that will get pricey given my obsessive planning habits but I'm reasonably tolerable once I figure things out, promise.


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## CHFIII (Mar 21, 2014)

LesFrog - indeed.... Once you get to the air conditioning in a suit it's silly to leave at mid day. Here in Dallas you see joggers when it is 110... Seems inexplicable unless someone is chasing them with an axe to me but sounds like most folks in Dubai have more sense than that.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
I see a number of distinct working hours types:-
Governmental companies sun-thurs 7 to 2.30 (give or take)
Local private companies sat-thurs 8-5.30 (give or take) 1 day off per week
Western style expat companies sun-thurs 8 to 5.30 (give or take) but still more hours than UK
Indian style expat companies sat or sun- thurs 7-1 then 4-9 split shifts
Luckily, i work in the Western style company!
Cheers
Steve


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Arrive 7 am 

Sit on Blackberry/Facebook all day (the only system that never goes down) 

Finish 2 pm

or

Roll in at 9.30 - 10 am, blame traffic.

20 mins sitting deleting emails then cigarette break.

Lunch 11 - 1.30 in Zaatar W Zeit

1.30 - 4 pm Social media interspersed with cigarette breaks

4 - 5pm Shout at junior employee, fit up peer for not receiving the correct information in time and whatever else from the encyclopedic rule book of excuses and blame transferal techniques.

5.30 - 7pm Gym, 10 min workout 1 hr 20 lerching session.

7.30 - 8.30 Shisha and return all emails (never more than one sentence) and ring back missed calls (hanging up after one ring) to give the illusion that you are working late. Emails mustn't contain anything of worth or deal with the matter at hand, preferable answering a question with another question.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> Arrive 7 am
> 
> Sit on Blackberry/Facebook all day (the only system that never goes down)
> 
> ...


Your job sounds amazing, I must have a role like this.

Please employ me as I too like to shout at juniors.


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## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Mr Rossi said:


> Arrive 7 am
> 
> Sit on Blackberry/Facebook all day (the only system that never goes down)
> 
> ...


Thank you for describing a common work day in the UAE...


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