PADA confirms 2 hours reduced working hours for disabled employees

Dr. Dalal Dhari Al-Othman, Director General of the Public Authority for Disability Affairs, announced that all ministries and government entities have been officially notified to implement reduced working hours for employees with disabilities and those responsible for their care during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a press statement issued Tuesday, Al-Othman confirmed that employees with disabilities — or individuals assigned to care for them — are entitled to a daily reduction of two working hours with full pay across all government agencies, in accordance with Article 40 of Law No. 8 of 2010 concerning the rights of persons with disabilities.

She explained that the decision applies to employees with severe, moderate, or mild disabilities, as well as employees caring for individuals with moderate or severe disabilities. The benefit also includes employees holding legal custody or guardianship of a person with a moderate or severe disability.

Al-Othman clarified that reduced hours cannot be granted to more than one person within the same family unless there are multiple persons with disabilities and proof that each caregiver is responsible for a different individual.

She added that employees must coordinate with their respective employers to determine the timing of the reduced hours.

The two-hour reduction will be applied daily throughout Ramadan with full salary entitlement and may be taken either at the beginning or end of the workday. The hours cannot be split, and implementation will follow the regulations and administrative systems adopted by each government entity and its affiliated institutions.