Kuwaiti employees get a surprise update in working hours rule
- By Web Desk -
- May 28, 2026
KUWAIT CITY: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has notified government agencies that female employees are allowed a 45-minute grace period for morning arrivals, permitting male employees 30 minutes.
The reliable sources regarding the matter said that all employees—both male and female—are entitled to a standard 30-minute grace period, which can be used either upon arrival in the morning or when leaving at the conclusion of official working hours. Female employees are granted an additional 15 minutes when leaving. These grace periods will remain in effect even during June, July, and August, when official working hours are reduced to six hours.
In an interview with Kuwait TV, Basma Al-Yaqoub, Director of the Fatwa and Opinion Department at the CSC, clarified that the reduction in working hours applies to employees working both morning and evening shifts. For the morning shift, there are two types of work schedules:
- Fixed Hours: Determined by the employer, with a 30-minute grace period, beginning at either 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM.
- Flexible Hours: Allowing a 30-minute grace window between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM.
Employees on the flexible schedule whose workday begins at 7:00 AM and who do not use their morning grace period can apply it upon departure. Combined with the extra 15-minute allowance, female employees may leave at 12:15 PM and male employees at 12:30 PM.
Similarly, employees on the flexible schedule whose workday begins at 8:00 AM can take advantage of the grace period upon departure if they did not use it in the morning. In this scenario, female employees would finish at 1:15 PM and male employees at 1:30 PM.
For employees who arrive between 8:01 AM and 8:30 AM and opt to use their 30-minute grace period in the morning, the workday ends at 1:45 PM for women and 2:00 PM for men. Shift workers remain governed by the regulations specific to their rosters, as their duties are classified under unique terms.