How UAE businesses can improve employee benefits

There is room for growth in employee benefits in the UAE.

Since joining in 1971, the United Arab Emirates has developed into one of the leading countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Recent investments in sustainable resources, start-up capital and encouraging trade and investment relationships have been a boon for the country’s economy. Despite global challenges over the past three years, the UAE has been able to increase its GDP to $640 billion by the end of 2021.¹

But it’s not just about money. A major focus in the UAE in recent years has been on happiness and well-being. In 2016, the UAE launched National Happiness and Well-Being Program It covers happiness and well-being in the workplace within the private sphere. This work focuses on the role of leaders in promoting workplace well-being, including actionable programs for leaders to follow.

And recent Gallup data suggests the program is working.result from Key workplace trends in the UAE polls² Shows that more and more employees feel that their company cares about their overall well-being. By 2022, nearly half of UAE employees (49%) strongly agree that their company cares about their overall well-being – an increase of 18 percentage points compared to 2019.

Another sign of workplace health awareness is employees feeling comfortable talking about mental health. Gallup asked employees in the UAE if they would like to discuss mental health issues with their managers, and 56% answered “yes”.

The findings are an admirable success story for the 50-year-old country: UAE ranks second in GCC region for employee happiness – according to this year’s The State of the Global Workplace Report.

Burnout associated with managers remains a problem.

Nonetheless, Emirati business leaders still have work to do in addressing worker well-being, especially job burnout. Nearly two-fifths of employees (38%) report feeling burnt out due to work stress in the past 30 days. About half of UAE employees do not strongly agree that their managers provide them with the information or support they need, nor that they have the necessary time to complete tasks or spend enough time with family and friends.

According to Gallup research, lack of manager support, poor communication, and unreasonable time pressure are all major causes of employee burnout. at last, Gallup data It is recommended that in most cases of burnout, lack of a good manager.

A good manager is an advocate for their team members—they help manage priorities, clarify expectations, and provide support. When managers provide this support, their employees are engaged and more likely to thrive in their overall lives.

But the reality is that there is a gap between how Emirati managers feel about the work they are doing and their employees. The vast majority of managers (93%) consider themselves a good manager. However, the data shows a stark difference between self-image and reality – half of all our well-being and stress-related issues say they are not fully satisfied with their manager. For example, 47% of respondents do not strongly agree that they get the support they need from their direct supervisor, meaning managers can do better than they think.

Are your managers equipped to support their employees?

The good news is that science-based management practices can be learned.at Gallup’s own boss to coach During the course, participants were able to increase team engagement by up to 22%, were 20% to 28% more likely to demonstrate improved performance compared to their peers, and had a 21% to 28% lower turnover rate.³

Gallup research shows that Employee Engagement magnified Employee Benefits Employee engagement is a powerful determinant of future well-being. Research also shows that highly engaged employees are more likely to talk to their managers about happiness. This correlation is also evident in the UAE engagement data.

Nearly half of disengaged (44%) and actively disengaged (47%) employees have recently experienced stress and burnout at work, a figure that shrinks to just one quarter (25%) of engaged workers.

Likewise, 42% of motivated and disengaged workers said work stress caused them to not get along well with friends or family, while only 21% of engaged workers said work stress negatively impacted their interactions with friends or family.

While the percentage of engaged employees in the UAE has increased significantly – from 19% in 2019 to 30% today – the vast majority are still either not engaged (62%) or actively disengaged (8%​​). This means that seven in 10 UAE employees face a higher risk of stress and burnout.

The UAE has a lot to be proud of when it comes to employee benefits and engagement. However, if UAE organisations wish to take employee benefits to the next level, they must tackle burnout by improving manager training and manager coaching.