Kuwait has announced the official working hours for government employers pertaining to the morning and evening shifts during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Head of the Kuwaiti Civil Service Commission Issam Al Rubaian issued a circular on the working hours during the fasting month expected this year to start on March 1.
The circular has requested the government agencies to observe a flexible working system and set the start of work from 8:30am to 10:30 am, with the employee allowed to show up at any time during it and work for four and a half hours.
The commission has said the government agency can set specific times for the start and end of work from out of five time periods, or the government agency may set a unified working time, or give employees the option to choose from among them.
As for evening working hours, the circular puts them at four and a half hours and stipulates that the evening shift should not start before 6:45pm with one grace period of 15 minutes for male workers and two for females – each runs for 15 minutes.
Evening shift employees are exempted in Ramadan from fingerprinting to prove their presence at the workplace, Al Anba newspaper quoted sources as saying. They explained that attendance and departure fingerprints are sufficient.
The commission, meanwhile, has set the timing of the fingerprinting, to prove presence in the morning shift, two hours after the employee’s attendance.
Muslims abstain from eating and drinking every day from dawn to sunset during Ramadan.
The holy month is marked by intense worshipping and family gatherings.
