UAE employees dissatisfied with labour conditions

New research from Future of Work 2024, commissioned by Zurich International Life, suggests that 6 in 10 employees believe their employer is not meeting their needs and calls for companies to provide personalised benefits to workers. For the report, 2,000 employees and 2,000 employers were surveyed across various industries in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

In addition, the survey also revealed that 68 per cent of respondents are actively looking to change jobs, indicating that they are not satisfied with the terms and conditions that employers are currently offering. According to the report, both flexibility in working hours and benefits or bonus packages are equally important to employees.

Some of the most sought-after employee benefits in the UAE include child tuition benefits, savings plans, and life and critical illness insurance.

In addition to personalising benefits, wellbeing and empowerment have also emerged as key factors for employers to consider. Nearly 70% of employees said that wellbeing programmes would have a direct impact on job satisfaction within the organisation. The report notes that it is important for companies to support their employees with both physical and mental health benefits.

‘The one-size-fits-all approach to benefits no longer works. Employees want their benefits to be personalised and unique,’ said Zurich Middle East’s head of marketing, announcing the findings, ’We saw that nine out of 10 employees said benefits were key to their happiness, and 63% want benefits to be personalised.

The shortage of high calibre talent remains a problem in the UAE, with one in three employers citing it as a key issue. The report says that to retain talent, companies need to make sure employees feel valued.

Source: Khaleej Times