You stayed late most of last month yet your payslip looks almost the same as always. So are you actually being paid for those extra hours? Overtime in the UAE is a legal right with set rates and many people never check whether they receive it. The good news is that the overtime calculation in uae follows a clear formula you can run yourself in a couple of minutes. At salary.ae our free tool and a simple uae overtime calculator help you confirm that every extra hour is paid.
How Does Overtime Calculation in UAE Work?
The overtime calculation starts with your hourly wage and then adds a premium for the extra hours you worked. You turn your basic salary into an hourly rate and then apply the correct uplift for when the overtime happened. Under the UAE Labour Law normal overtime is paid at your usual wage plus an extra twenty-five percent. If the overtime falls at night between ten at night and four in the morning the extra rises to fifty percent.
Here is a simple example to show the formula in action. Say your hourly wage works out to AED 40. One hour of normal overtime pays AED 50 which is your AED 40 plus twenty-five percent. The same hour worked at night pays AED 60. Knowing it this way means you can check any extra hour on your payslip in seconds rather than take the figure on trust.
What Rate Do You Get for Nights Weekends and Holidays?
The rate changes with when you work the extra hours so the same hour can be worth quite different amounts. Normal daytime overtime carries the smallest uplift while nights and rest days pay more. Work on your weekly rest day usually earns either another day off or your wage plus fifty percent. Public holidays are treated generously too with a day off in lieu or extra pay.
| When you work overtime | Typical pay |
| Normal overtime hours | Hourly wage plus 25 percent |
| Night hours 10 pm to 4 am | Hourly wage plus 50 percent |
| Weekly rest day | Rest day in lieu or wage plus 50 percent |
| Public holiday | Day off in lieu or extra pay |
During Ramadan standard working hours are reduced so anything beyond the shortened day can count toward overtime. A uae overtime calculator handles these different rates for you so nothing is missed. These rates come from the UAE Labour Law so it is always worth confirming the current figures for your own contract and role before you rely on them.
How Does a UAE Overtime Calculator Make It Easy?
An overtime calculator does the whole sum for you so you never have to juggle rates by hand. You enter your basic salary, your normal hours and the extra hours you worked and the tool returns what you are owed. A good UAE overtime calculator also splits normal and night hours automatically which is exactly where manual sums tend to slip.
Our free tool work as an overtime calculator and help you confirm your hourly rate from your basic salary first. That matters because your overtime builds on that base figure so getting it right is half the job. We keep the whole thing educational so you understand every number.
Tip: Keep a simple note of your extra hours each week with the dates and the times. When payday comes you can match your own total against your payslip in minutes and raise anything that is missing while it is still fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under UAE labour law, eligible overtime is generally calculated using the employee’s basic hourly wage. Normal overtime typically includes the basic hourly rate plus 25%, while certain night overtime hours between 10 pm and 4 am may carry a 50% increase, subject to legal exceptions. Use your basic salary and applicable working hours to estimate your overtime pay.
Yes. Overtime pay in the UAE is generally calculated using your basic salary rather than your full salary package. Divide your monthly basic salary by the applicable monthly working hours to estimate your hourly rate, then apply the relevant overtime increase. Check your employment terms and applicable labour rules for the correct calculation.
Gross salary is generally the total salary earned before employee deductions. It includes your basic salary and applicable allowances, such as housing and transport. Your net salary is the amount you receive after any applicable deductions. Knowing your gross salary helps you understand your overall compensation and estimate your take-home pay.
During Ramadan, reduced working hours apply to eligible private-sector employees in the UAE, and additional hours may qualify as overtime under the applicable rules. For work on official public holidays, employees are generally entitled to a compensatory day off or payment in accordance with UAE labour law. The exact entitlement depends on the applicable regulations and employment circumstances.
