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Benefits currently received 63% of respondents have medical insurance for themselves, 58% get a holiday pay, while 47% receive a sick pay. Benefits received from companies vary significantly from country to country. Overall, benefits received in the GCC are higher than those received in Levant and North Africa, such as medical insurance.
Total
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Kuwait
Bahrain
Oman
Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Egypt
Morocco
Algeria
Tunisia
Medical insurance for self
63
77
64
41
50
42
58
46
41
61
59
60
66
51
Holiday pay Sick pay
58 47
67 48
55 47
62 57
60 52
63 53
64 48
48 46
35 38
57 54
49 46
50 29
67 45
55 40
Transportation to/ from office
35
39
38
29
49
36
33
53
24
18
31
20
23
16
Accommodation
35
60
41
28
61
44
51
8
11
7
10
10
17
9
Medical insurance for family
30
44
24
18
19
14
36
18
27
36
22
33
42
43
Car allowance
28
47
17
21
29
28
32
12
16
21
26
8
20
13
Flexible working hours
24
22
23
26
25
18
27
26
24
24
27
15
25
20
Life insurance
19
15
19
20
22
14
20
20
16
13
22
21
26
22
Career break/ sabbaticals
19
18
12
15
15
11
17
13
19
28
19
28
38
33
Pension contribution/ social security
17
12
9
11
8
12
19
42
27
32
15
35
46
40
School fees for your children
8
9
9
6
12
3
9
16
5
3
3
9
11
11
Working from home Gym membership None of the above
7 7 8
6 9 4
7 7 7
6 6 10
6 8 6
5 6 9
6 11 5
7 4 8
3 3 24
10 2 14
8 5 12
6 6 16
12 13 6
6 10 10
4. Higher salaries 61% of respondents
in the 2014 Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey believe that salaries in the MENA are on the rise. This is considered to be due to inflation and the rising cost of living, as well as the economic growth some of these countries are witnessing, and pay rises in the public sector. Undoubtedly, employees feel short-changed, and with an increase in the cost of living and a presumption other employers pay more, we may see significant churn over the next year as employers struggle to match employees expectations and ensure parity and fairness in pay structures. Tools such as Bayt.com Salaries have ensured that salary figures for different roles and industries in the region are widely available and can be shared and discussed openly.
5. Appreciation The importance of giving regular and constructive feedback to encourage, motivate and guide cannot be overemphasized. Companies should adopt a comprehensive firm-wide performance appraisal system for formal appraisals, and complement that with regular informal face-to-face meetings to discuss progress. Regular positive feedback for key accomplishments and contributions is a key criterion for raising both employee morale and overall happiness in the workplace. 34
Qatar
Entrepreneur may 2015
The trickle down: It starts at the top The Bayt.com Job Satisfaction in the Middle East and North Africa survey has shown that trust levels towards both senior management and line managers are low. Your role as a manager or business owner is to help ensure that people are happily engaged at work. Doing so isn’t expensive. Employees’ well-being depends, in large part, on a manager’s ability and willingness to facilitate employee accomplishments. Removing obstacles, providing help, and acknowledging strong effort are great ways to achieve that. The single most important thing to do is simply facilitating progress in meaningful work. As long as workers experience their job as meaningful, progress is often followed by joy and excitement about the work. The times of simply punching a clock to put food on the table may be on their way out as employee expectations transform. While the concept of accountability and being present is still an important part of having a job or career, employees are looking for far more in a job than just provision. In turn, it is essential that companies learn and know how to treat employees and realize that a happier workforce will equal a more productive and motivated company as a whole. Employee happiness and satisfaction
must remain, or become, paramount concerns for any company looking to succeed. Promoting employees’ well-being isn’t just ethical; it makes economic sense. Fostering positive inner lives requires leaders to better articulate meaning in the work for everyone across the organization. Sometimes, all that’s required is that managers address daily hassles and help with fulfilment dilemmas. If those who lead organizations -from CEOs to smallteam leaders- believe their mission is, in part, to support employees’ everyday progress, they could end (or at least curtail) the dissatisfaction crisis across the MENA region.
Suhail Al-Masri is the VP of Sales at Bayt.com. Al-Masri has more than 20 years of experience in sales leadership, consultative sales, account management, marketing management, and operations management. His mission at Bayt.com goes in line with the company’s mission to empower people with the tools and knowledge to build their lifestyles of choice.
benefits currently received courtesy bayt.com
All figures are %’s