UAE: 120-hour workweek for employees? Overworking won't guarantee success
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recommended that professionals should work 120 hours per week which led to widespread disapproval on social media platforms. Narayana Murthy who co-founded Infosys received backlash after he suggested young professionals should work 70 hours per week.
Tech leaders' comments have sparked renewed discussion regarding extended work hours. HR professionals in the UAE prioritize workplace value creation and ongoing personal development over exhausting themselves with excessive work.
Industry experts advise caution about long work hours because they cause burnout and lower productivity and recommend a balanced work-life approach for sustainable career advancement.
Work smart
The objective is to assess HR professionals' opinions and determine if job-related concepts find support among UAE employers.
During my long career in recruitment and staffing Aws Ismail general manager at Marc Ellis Dubai observed that numerous professionals exhaust themselves because they mistakenly believe it's the only path to advancement. The reality shows that working beyond 50-60 weekly hours leads to reduced productivity while burnout begins to emerge. My personal belief is that achievement comes from working smarter rather than putting in more hours.
A 120-hour work week like Musk's is beyond what I would recommend. The number of hours worked does not ensure success because delivery of results matters more than time spent working. The UAE job market operates at a rapid pace while technology-driven automation increases the importance of efficiency and adaptability. You don't need to exhaust yourself if you are meeting your workplace objectives while creating value and continuously improving.
Employees should organize their tasks, establish realistic daily targets and allocate specific time slots for their activities according to expert advice.
The strategy makes it simple to avoid working long hours while completing your tasks along with additional work. Extra hours for client deliveries and big projects with tight deadlines or new development opportunities should not become standard practice. Ismail explained that hard work is important yet being productive during working hours along with mental sharpness and continuous learning makes the biggest difference.
Matter of personal preference, pace, workload
The country's business leaders made it clear that prolonged overworking cannot maintain long-term sustainability. Some people thrive in fast-paced environments with long hours while others achieve better results within clear boundaries.
My approach as a leader differs from others because I place maintaining my peace above all else. Even in demanding industries, balance is essential. I maintain a maximum of 42 work hours per week which can extend to 50 hours in extremely demanding situations. I avoid working from home and during weekends. My weekend activities aren't particularly extensive.
My team members keep their workweek to 40 hours but they have the option to work extra hours if they wish based on personal preferences and workload demands.
Human resources experts emphasized that job performance is measured by dedication, flexibility and eagerness to absorb new knowledge rather than excessive work hours.
Career development requires customized approaches because each person's needs and strengths differ. Certain people succeed when working long hours in intense conditions while others achieve their best results with clear boundaries. Wilson explains that he achieves high productivity through a fixed work schedule yet acknowledges that some people require flexible working hours which means starting their workday slowly and increasing their pace as the day progresses.
The essential elements of success include knowing your personal work style preferences while maintaining open communication with your employer about career growth and finding equilibrium to achieve peak performance without harming your health.
What can stress do?
National wellness specialists have warned that working extended hours results in greater stress levels as well as poor eating habits and reduced physical activity leading to health problems.
Dr. Waleed Alomar, a specialist in psychiatry at Medcare Hospital Sharjah stated that extensive research indicates that employees who work long hours each week often face burnout and stress which makes personal relationship maintenance and leisure time enjoyment difficult. Employees require rest periods after their workday which makes it essential to establish well-defined work hour limits. Extended working hours can trigger cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Specialists pointed out that the physical and mental strain experienced by overworked people emerges from acute physiological responses like exhaustion and stress alongside disturbed sleep and poor lifestyle choices when stress levels rise.
The success of workplace productivity depends fundamentally on employee wellbeing. Wellbeing affects employees by determining their sick leave usage and job performance levels while also influencing burnout rates and employee turnover according to Gallup. Alomar reported that preventable health disorders account for 75 percent of medical costs according to Gallup and employee burnout results in $322 billion in global economic losses from turnover and lost productivity.
When workers exceed sustainable work limits they face increased burnout risk and experience reduced creativity and problem-solving abilities which are essential for achieving meaningful progress.
According to Girish Hemnani, an Energy Healer and Life Coach from Dubai, research including studies from Stanford demonstrates that people's productivity reaches its peak at 50 hours weekly before starting to fall off. The true key factors for innovation and career advancement stem from maintaining high-quality concentration and creative energy rather than just working more hours.
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