Muscat: The flexible working hours, which were introduced in 2023, helped to ease traffic on the main roads such as Sultan Qaboos Street and the Muscat Expressway as employees rushed home after the office timings at around 2 pm.
"Getting back home in the afternoon used to be a big challenge as all government and some private employees left for home at the same time, which led to traffic congestion for hours."
Long queues of vehicles especially at Muscat Expressway towards Mabela and on Sultan Qaboos Street on the Rusayl in the afternoon after 2 pm will be a story of the past," said one Mabela resident.
With the new flexible working hours and the option for remote working, the movement of employees will be spread out and it will reduce not only traffic congestion but also reduce accidents.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) is expected to prohibit truck movement on some roads in various governorates on Thursdays and Saturdays to avoid congestion.
The official working hours for employees during Ramadhan 2024 for employees in the departments of the state’s administrative apparatus will be flexible, starting from 9 am to 2 pm, and the head of the departments will determine the hours of attendance that suit the nature of the work.
The shift options are 7 am to 12 noon, 8 am to 1 pm, 9 am to 2 pm, and 10 am to 3 pm.
Remote work: The head of the department may implement remote work for the employees whose nature of work allows them to opt for this option, in a manner that does not affect the workflow in that unit. In all cases, the number of employees required to be present at their workplace may not be less than 50 percent of the total number of employees per department. The maximum working hours for Muslim workers shall be six hours per day in private sector establishments or 30 working hours a week.
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