The annual midday work ban is a very simple concept, or at least in theory.
From June 15 to August 31, 2026, all employers are prohibited from assigning workers to outdoor duties under direct sunlight between noon and 4pm.
It is meant to strengthen workplace safety standards and protect workers from heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and other summer-related health risks.
For labourers, that is a great initiative, but this decision feels very incomplete.
In fact, we can wonder why the ban applies only to labourers and not to other workers as well.
Have people forgotten about motorcycle delivery riders or workers at service stations?
Delivery riders have to make back-and-forth trips on a motorcycle for an entire day in a uniform that barely protects them from the heat of Bahrain’s summer.
Workers at service stations stand in front of cars and petrol all day, every day, and are equally exposed to extreme temperatures.
Even during the conflict, delivery riders continued to provide essential services, ensuring people received food and necessities when stepping out was not always possible.
While it may be argued that they have the choice to work, the reality is that many rely on these jobs to support themselves and their families.
For them, taking a break during peak hours may not always feel like a viable option.
There is also a broader concern about fairness and consistency.
If the objective of the midday work ban is to protect individuals from the harmful effects of heat, then that protection should logically extend to everyone working under similar conditions.
It is inhumane to make them work in this heat! People underestimate the damage heat and the sun can create.
So yes, I do believe that the ban is an excellent initiative, but incomplete and perhaps slightly unfair regarding delivery riders or workers at service stations.
Maryam Al Ahmad
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