At least 25 percent of the workforce of some selected federal departments in Dubai have begun to work remotely starting Tuesday as a precaution to avoid any spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
By Wednesday, 50 percent will work remotely while the pilot work system will cover 100 percent of the workforce of these departments from March 17, according to a report from Gulf News.
This will also gradually be applied to other emirates across the country.
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According to the report, the pilot work system being implemented is based on the division of labor on the employees in each department so that a group of them will perform their duties from home or remotely.
The employees will be divided into two groups. The first group will work remotely on the first day. Then, they will return to work from the ministry’s offices on the next day and so on.
This aims to reduce the presence of employees in their offices to avoid crowding.
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Beginning Monday, those who are all senior citizens and pregnant employees are now allowed to work remotely.
The government has also provided laptops and software applications for the remote work system.
However, the new work system will exclude hospital workers, employees working in emergency departments such as electricity and water emergencies, civil defense personnel, the police, and workers in the passports departments at airports, sea, and land ports.
