Over 86% Of MENA Employees Claim They Work During Holidays

Up to 86.5 per cent of employees in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region say they continue working even during holidays, according to a new survey by job site Bayt.com.

Tasks include checking and replying to emails and using the company’s phone number, the survey found.

Up to 93 per cent of the respondents also claim that they are expected to be contactable by their management while on leave. While 45.2 per cent state this is in case of emergencies only, 47.8 per cent say that they are required to stay contactable at all times.

However, the majority of respondents (71.7 per cent) believe this to be more relevant for their colleagues in senior management, Bayt said.

The poll also found that employees in the MENA region consider office productivity to be higher at the end of the year, with 27.7 per cent stating that it’s at ‘an all time high’, when compared to the rest of the year. Employee morale is also higher according to 58.9 per cent of the respondents, with 38.7 per cent claiming it’s at ‘an all time high’.

While the best end-of-year perk to receive, according to 49 per cent of respondents, is a salary raise, 18.9 per cent said they would like a cash bonus, 17 per cent would like paid time off, 11.3 per cent opted for an office party, and 3.7 per cent want to receive gift cards.

Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com, said: “The fact that employee morale is highest at the end of the year is a boon for workplaces – and clearly higher morale has an impact on employee productivity. It also seems that employees would be most appreciative of thanks in the form of monetary remuneration at the end of the year.

“Employers who want to build loyalty and trust among their employees should tap into this type of appreciation.”

In terms of other benefits, 58.2 per cent of regional employees state their company organises an end-of-year party to celebrate company successes, though 12.5 per cent of them claim that it doesn’t happen every year. However, 18.5 per cent of the respondents say they don’t have an end-of-year party due to a lack of money.

Data for the poll was collected online from November 24 to December 14, with 2,773 respondents from the UAE, Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.