Kuwait Introduces Shorter Summer Workday

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Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has officially introduced a temporary shift in public sector working hours for the peak summer months. Aimed at creating a more flexible, efficient, and employee-friendly work environment during the intense heat, a new administrative circular slashes the standard daily shift to just six hours.

The special seasonal schedule takes effect on June 1 and will run through August 31.

The New Morning Shift Schedule

Under the updated guidelines, the core daily workload for the morning shift drops to six hours. Employees can log their attendance during a flexible morning window, but must complete their designated time before heading home.

Arrival Window: Morning check-in runs from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
Shift Duration: Employees are free to leave after completing exactly 6 hours of work.
Late Arrival Grace Period: A 30-minute grace period is available for staff arriving after 8:00 AM.

Special Exit Policies for Female Employees

The circular maintains specific considerations for female staff members to offer extra flexibility at the end of the day:

Female employees are entitled to a standard 15-minute early departure window every day.
If a female employee chooses not to use the morning’s 30-minute late arrival grace period, she can add that time to her exit, allowing her to leave up to 45 minutes early at the end of her shift.

Evening Shifts and Part-Time Adjustments

The summer adjustments also extend to evening operations and part-time accommodations, ensuring all public sector structures run smoothly during the seasonal shift:

Evening Shift Hours: The evening shift will operate from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM, making it a compressed 4.5-hour workday. A 30-minute grace period applies to evening arrivals as well.
Unpaid Flexible Hours: The system allows for a partial reduction or shifting of work hours (without pay) for up to 4 hours a day. These custom shifts can be scheduled within two specific daytime blocks: from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM or from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Summary: This proactive step by PAM helps ease the burden of commuting and working during Kuwait’s hottest months while keeping essential public services running efficiently through structured, flexible time blocks.