Some UAE firms extend Christmas leave till New Year to let employees 'fully disconnect'

Some UAE firms are offering employees an extended Christmas leave that runs into early January, pausing non-essential operations to allow staff to fully disconnect after an intense year while maintaining limited critical services.

Beyond official public holidays, the move reflects a growing shift toward structured year-end shutdowns aligned with global business calendars.

At BCD Global, the extended break takes the form of a planned wellbeing pause that begins after Christmas. According to Jasna Bedi, Chairperson, Family Office, BCD Global, the company typically observes a shutdown from December 26 through to the first working days of January.

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“During this period, non-essential operations are paused to allow teams to fully disconnect, while critical functions continue on a limited, rotational basis where required,” she said, noting that the structure allows business continuity without placing pressure on the wider workforce.

The decision to introduce the extended break was shaped by the demands of the year-end period, which often comes after months of sustained workload. Dr Angad Bedi, Chairman, BCD Global, said the initiative is rooted in a long-term view of performance and wellbeing rather than short-term output.

“The year-end period is often one of prolonged intensity, and a deliberate pause allows teams to reset, manage fatigue, and return with greater focus and clarity,” he said. “This voluntary initiative complements existing UAE labour protections and reflects our belief that maintaining momentum over the long term requires balance, not constant acceleration.”

He added that across global markets, employers are increasingly recognising the impact of fatigue and burnout on productivity, engagement, and decision-making. “By addressing this proactively, we aim to support both individual wellbeing and organisational resilience,” he said.

For organisations with international operations, extended year-end closures also serve a practical purpose. Dr Bedi said the pause helps align teams across different geographies, where similar breaks are widely observed during the same period.

“It allows teams to close the year in a structured manner and resume together in January, supporting more effective planning and collaboration from the outset,” he said. He added that this mirrors the UAE’s broader alignment with global business norms, including the transition to a Monday-to-Friday workweek and ongoing modernisation of labour frameworks designed to support international collaboration.

In the UAE, official public holidays are announced annually and apply to both the public and private sectors, with dates based on either the Gregorian or Islamic calendar, depending on the occasion. While Christmas Day is not listed as a federal public holiday, companies are permitted to introduce internal leave policies at their discretion.

HR professionals say such shutdowns, or predictable closures, also help manage expectations externally. Rouda Mahmoud, a Dubai-based human resources consultant, said clients and partners are informed ahead of time, which reduces pressure on employees to remain available during what is meant to be a rest period.

This approach can also be easier to manage than handling multiple, staggered annual leave requests across departments. “When many employees want time off at the same time, a defined shutdown creates clarity,” the consultant said. “Teams can plan deliverables, client communication, and handovers, rather than dealing with last-minute leave approvals and reduced capacity across the board.”

While not all companies are extending Christmas leave until the New Year, several offices across the UAE are granting internal leave on Christmas Day and in some cases Boxing Day — on December 25 and 26 — resulting in a long weekend.

A senior HR manager based in Dubai, Robert Adams, said fixed shutdown periods reduce inconsistencies in how leave is approved and prevent situations where some employees feel disadvantaged if their requests are declined while others are approved.

“When leave is standardised across the organisation, it removes the perception of unequal treatment,” the HR manager said. “Everyone knows in advance which days are covered, which avoids internal friction and difficult conversations between managers and staff during a busy period.”