Employee morale and productivity are higher during end-of-the-year holidays than at other times, a regional workplace poll suggests.
The majority of those surveyed in the UAE felt that productivity was also moderately high, or at an all-time high, even when many people were on leave, said Roba Al Assi, spokeswoman for Bayt.com, the employment website that conducted the poll.
Figures for the UAE were similar to those around the region, Ms Al Assi said. The company also asked respondents whether they were expected to be accessible to their company while on leave, a figure especially high in the UAE, although exact percentages for each country were not available.
Ninety-three per cent of employees polled said their management expected to be able to contact them while on holiday. About 45 per cent said this was just for emergencies, while 48 per cent said they must be available at all times.
A majority said this was more true for senior colleagues, while 86.5 per cent said they would continue working while on holiday regardless of seniority, according to the survey.
The company conducted the poll in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
lcarroll@thenational.ae