There has been a discussion going on for a while now about whether the last 10 days of Ramadan should be declared as a public holiday. The argument by FNC member Mosabbah Al Katbi is made on the basis that such a move will allow for more time to be dedicated towards worship in this period, especially during the late hours of the night. In fact, the UAE ministry is in the stages of currently studying whether or not to approve this proposal.
I must say that the feedback that some have given to counter argue the benefits of the proposal are valid from one perspective...but not from all perspectives. I have read comments on how some think that people won't really be dedicating their time towards worship, rather, they'll be spending it either sleeping, eating, or watching TV. In addition, I have read a deeper argument on how working is also considered as a form of worship, and as such, it shouldn't be neglected. And there's also your economists who argue that having more days off from the working calendar will inhibit, if not harm, the growth of a developing country like the UAE.
Again I say, I think all the above are valid points but I don't think that they should be the basis for consideration to strike off the proposal. Think about it for a second. On the perception that people will abuse their free time rather than dedicating it for worship, yeah, I think that this may and will happen...but not with everyone; so why generalize? Why not give those people who really want to spend this time in worship the opportunity to do so and be more happy and satisfied? Should the work-life balance for many be disrupted just because we think that some people won't make use of their time in the way that Al Katbi described? That doesn't make sense.
Also, on the point that work is a form of worship. I totally agree with the principle of this one, but I don't see how it is applied here. As it is already, many people in the UAE work very long hours resulting in more stress, demotivation, and a loss in productivity. While driving into Dubai earlier today at around 6.45pm (i.e. 30mins before Iftar), Al Ittihad Road was jam packed on its Sharjah bound side, and this is when everyone is supposedly working 2 hours less every day. Is this healthy? Employers often think clocking in more working hours lead to higher productivity. In today's age, this isn't as effective as more people are susceptible to taking their work with them back home. Giving more time off, may surprisingly lead to higher productivity, as the time left to do work in the office will now be managed more effectively since employees morale will most likely be boosted from such an initiative.
On the final remarks; I am not an economist, nor do I have figures on why I think those 10 days won't affect the growth of the economy whether positively or negatively; yet all I know is that the work culture of many companies operating in the UAE is about leaving most of the tasks till the last minute. Perhaps it may be worthwhile to look into innovative ways to managing work and time more efficiently and effectively, because I assure you, those extra 10 days on their own (which some people are already taking as time off from their annual leave by the way) is not what is inhibiting this great country from growing more than it already has. Matters such as commute timings, compensation and professional growth, work-life balance, and employer culture are but some of the factors that probably need more immediate attention.
No matter what will be decided, I am certain that the outcome will be after a much deeper deliberation than what I presented here; but one thing I wish to convey is that let us have more trust in each other as working professionals, rather than always shutting down ideas merely on the basis of the perception that all people by nature are lazy and do not wish to work. If such employees exist in your company, then the problem won't be the 10 extra days off, it will definitely be a deeper one that is exclusive to the employer's sole doing.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
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