Following significant pressure, MACL decides to grant OT pay for Ramadan only after mandating employees to complete full eight-hour shifts
Following criticism from staff regarding its previous overtime policy, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has announced that employees working shift duties during Ramadan will be compensated for any hours worked beyond an eight-hour limit, while those working during the final ten days of the month will receive a special allowance. Additionally, the company has designated the last ten days of Ramadan as a holiday for its administrative staff.
MACL CEO and Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef: Following mounting pressure, MACL has decided to grant overtime pay for Ramadan only after making eight-hour shifts mandatory. | MACL | MACL
Following widespread public criticism and mounting pressure, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has reversed its stance and decided to pay overtime to employees required to work eight-hour shifts during the month of Ramadan.
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has decided that employees will only be eligible for overtime pay for hours worked exceeding 48 hours. In a previously issued circular, the company stated that the official working hours for administrative staff during the month of Ramadan and the first seven days of Shawwal 1447 have been set at four hours and 30 minutes per day.
Furthermore, MACL stated that overtime pay during Ramadan will be granted, as in other months, only for hours worked in excess of 48 hours per week. Consequently, employees will not receive overtime compensation for work performed outside of official hours if the total does not exceed the 48-hour threshold.
Following MACL's decision, numerous employees have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction. Staff members have described the move as a significant burden during the month of Ramadan, noting that they are frequently required to work beyond their scheduled shifts. Furthermore, employees argued that they should be compensated for overtime work regardless of whether they meet the 48-hour threshold.
Amid mounting public criticism and increasing pressure, the company finally issued a new circular regarding the matter at 12:44 AM on Sunday. The update was subsequently communicated through their official Viber groups.
In a circular issued late Sunday night, MACL announced that, consistent with previous years, shift employees working during Ramadan 1447 will be compensated for hours worked beyond the standard five-hour mark. Specifically, any additional time worked up to eight hours will be paid based on the employee's basic hourly salary rate.
Furthermore, the company announced that the final ten days of Ramadan 1447 have been designated as holidays for its administrative (non-shift) staff. MACL also stated that employees scheduled to work during the final ten days of Ramadan will receive a half-day allowance for every duty shift completed, in accordance with established policies.
