The past two years have shown that there are plenty of advantages to remote working, but for managers, it has created a dilemma — just how hard are employees working?
This has created "productivity paranoia", according to a new study from Microsoft, which found that while 87 per cent of employees said they were productive at work, 85 per cent of leaders said the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to know whether their employees are being productive.
"As some organisations use technology to track activity rather than impact, employees lack context on how and why they’re being tracked, which can undermine trust and lead to 'productivity theatre'," Microsoft said in its report titled Hybrid Work Is Just Work. Are We Doing It Wrong?
"This has led to productivity paranoia: where leaders fear that lost productivity is due to employees not working, even though hours worked, number of meetings, and other activity metrics have increased."
Microsoft surveyed 20,000 people in 11 countries and analysed trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals, along with LinkedIn labour trends.
The report said that leaders and managers are missing the visual cues of what it means to be productive because they are not able to see who is hard at work by walking down the hall or past a conference room.
This has had an effect on employees, who feel pressured to prove their level of productivity, and "digital overwhelm is soaring", Microsoft said.
"Productivity paranoia risks making hybrid work unsustainable. Leaders need to pivot from worrying about whether their people are working enough to helping them focus on the work that’s most important."
One of the most important things in the current trend of hybrid work is to bridge this paradox of worker and employer trust over productivity, according to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella.
While workplace surveillance tools are available, this is not a path Microsoft recommends to solve the issue.
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“There’s a growing debate about employee surveillance, and we have a really strong stance — we just think that’s wrong,” said Jared Spataro, vice president at Microsoft.
“We don’t think that employers should be surveilling and taking note of the activity of keystrokes and mouse clicks and those types of things because, in so many ways, we feel like that’s measuring heat rather than outcome."
The work-from-home trend, driven by the coronavirus outbreak, did not significantly dent staff productivity, according to a Willis Towers Watson study in 2020 of how UAE businesses were coping with the shift.
More than 20 per cent of employers said new working arrangements actually boosted productivity, while 11 per said there had been no change and 39 per cent noted a slight negative effect.
The survey of 35 Middle East employers that have a combined workforce of 590,000 globally and 92,000 in the UAE, found only 11 per cent of businesses reported a moderate negative effect on their operations and no companies noted a large impact.
Hybrid work-from-home (WFH) models can potentially be a tool to help address employee issues around stress and excessive working hours, according to a study by Nicholas Bloom and Ruobing Han of Stanford University, and James Liang of Peking University in Beijing.
About 90 per cent of UAE employees want to work either in a hybrid or fully remote working model in the future, according to a May survey by technology company Cisco.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
WISH
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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EPL's youngest
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