The government of Sharjah has fully implemented the remote working system for all employees of various departments in its administration. To curb the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect the health and safety of the community, the Sharjah Directorate of Human Resources, SDHR, announced that has successfully developed a remote work system that allows its employees to work from home without physically going to the workplace.

Dr Tariq Sultan bin Khadem, president of SDHR, confirmed that based on the directives issued by the highest authorities of the United Arab Emirates, aimed at ensuring the safety of community members and employees, the Sharjah government has fully realised a working system remote for all employees, except those whose job requires their presence. The latter are obviously required to follow the preventive measures established by the UAE Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, NCEMA, which on 14th March, 2020 has launched the Business Continuity Readiness Guidelines for UAE Organisations in the event of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak, as part of efforts to boost the nation's readiness and response for emergencies and transfer best international practices. Dr Tariq Sultan bin Khadem stressed that a weekly shift system, with at least 50 percent of the staff, must be adopted among employees who need to go to the workplace, to ensure the continuity of the activities carried out.

The Sharjah Directorate of Human Resources, SDHR, will also release a package of instructions and guidelines to ensure that work continues with the required efficiency and quality, plus preventive instructions for those who cannot work remotely. In line with the country's spirit and policies, the Sharjah government pays great attention to public health and will take all necessary measures to ensure everyone's safety. The so-called ‘smart-work’ is a necessary measure to protect the well-being and the general safety of the employees and represents also a key of success to address the risks arising from the COVID-19 outbreak in the organisations that may directly affect services continuity and community stability.