Long hours, thin cover: the MENA workload conversation

Ask about cover, not just hours

A reasonable week collapses quickly when one person covers several markets. Ask how many people do this job, what happens during leave, and whether weekend or late coverage is rotated or informal.

Rest is a practice, not a benefit

Annual leave that cannot be taken is not leave. A practical test: what proportion of the team used their full entitlement last year, and were requests refused?

• Is out-of-hours contact expected, and from whom?
• Is time back given after a heavy period?
• How is Ramadan or seasonal load planned for?

Why this belongs in a review

Workload patterns are exactly the kind of detail job adverts omit and future candidates need. Reported as a pattern—without naming a team or a date—it is both safe to share and genuinely useful.

Regional load patterns worth asking about

Workload in MENA often follows patterns a contract never mentions. Teams covering several countries inherit multiple weekend structures, so someone is usually on call when their own week has ended. Regional remits based in one hub mean travel that is invisible in the job description. Ramadan, quarter-end and seasonal peaks reshape hours in ways that are entirely manageable when planned and corrosive when they are not.

Ask how last Ramadan was handled, how the team covers the days it does not share with a client market, and whether heavy periods are followed by time back. Specific answers about last year are worth more than any statement of policy.