The same salary over fewer hours means a higher hourly rate — and hour seven is already overtime.
During Ramadan the working day for Muslim employees drops to six hours, or thirty-six a week. Your monthly salary does not change. The same money now covers fewer hours, so every hour is worth more — and so is every overtime hour, because overtime is a multiple of the hourly rate.
This is the detail that costs employers money and that employees most often miss. If the standard Ramadan day is six hours, working eight means two hours of overtime — not a normal day.
The usual payroll method is monthly basic ÷ 30 days ÷ hours in the day. On 6,000 SAR that gives 25 SAR an hour on an eight-hour day, but 33.33 SAR on a six-hour Ramadan day. Overtime at 150% is therefore 37.50 against 50.00.
| Period | Standard day | Hourly | Overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 8 hours | 25.00 | 37.50 |
| Ramadan | 6 hours | 33.33 | 50.00 |
Hours worked on your weekly rest day or an official holiday are treated as overtime regardless of your weekly total — during Ramadan and the rest of the year alike.
Employers must keep records, but your own log of dates and hours is what makes a claim straightforward. A note on your phone is enough. Check it against the overtime line on your payslip each month.
The Labor Law sets the reduced hours for Muslim employees. Many companies apply the shorter day to all staff as policy — worth confirming with HR rather than assuming either way.