Work-related stress in the UAE was higher at the end of last year than at any time since January 2020, according to a survey.
The poll by health services company Cigna Insurance found that 68 per cent of staff reported significant work-related stress.
The previous high in 2020 had been 58 per cent recorded in January's poll – just weeks before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Of those surveyed in the most recent poll, 71 per cent said they worked more additional hours in December 2020 than they did in April 2020 – during the UAE's lockdown phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.
And 53 per cent said they were working extra hours at weekends.
The survey also found that 69 per cent of employees expected more mental health support from their employer.
There is no water cooler moment on Zoom
The findings illustrate the huge emotional and workplace pressures brought on by the virus.
However, the UAE recorded a strong performance on the overall “well-being index” compared to other markets, said Cigna.
The Emirates scored 67.4 points in the well-being index in December – up by 1.8 points compared to October 2020. The global average in December was 60.9 points.
The well-being ranking considers the physical, family, social, financial and work health aspects of respondents' lives. These improved as life returned to a semblance of normality in the UAE.
"This is global issue," said Neil Shah, chief de-stressing officer at The Stress Management Society in the UK, regarding the workplace uncertainty unleashed by Covid-19.
"People miss friends, family and colleagues and are worried about their career and future."
The survey also shatters some of the illusions behind the dream of working from home.
Rather than empowering workers, the survey found it can make them more stressed and pressured to be always available.
This prevailing "always-on" culture affected 93 per cent of those polled.
"In a different world, work from home would be a godsend – especially in the UAE where it was not typical," Mr Shah said.
"But now people find it is not quite what they thought. There is no choice and children are at home too. There is no demarcation between work and home."
Mr Shah pointed to the prevalence of foreign workers in the UAE who may be feeling a more severe type of isolation.
"There is no water cooler moment on Zoom. People feel disconnected, lonely and isolated and may be living away from friends and family.
"A work network can be more important in the UAE than other parts of the world. How can we maintain these networks even if not in a physical workplace?"
The survey found that 67 per cent of UAE respondents wanted to work either entirely from the office or spend at least 80 per cent of their work time there, once the pandemic is over.
Almost two thirds – 64 per cent – of those surveyed seek flexibility in their work location and working hours. However, only 37 per cent said they are receiving it. Unsurprisingly, health and well-being remain a continued priority for employees, with 74 per cent seeking enhanced health cover in December.
However, only 28 per cent of employees said they received it.
Mr Shah cautioned that a future driven by more and more automation and outsourcing could lead to greater issues down the line.
"Is the reliance on human potential going to be downgraded?
"I don’t know, but if you isolate people and take away social connections it could lead to an even bigger pandemic affecting mental health," said Mr Shah, whose organisation will run an international stress awareness month in April.
"We need to have more conversations about this."
Jerome Droesch, chief executive of Cigna Middle East and Africa, said 2020 was a difficult year for the world but it was pleasing to see the UAE emerge resilient.
“We observed many highs and lows during the year as people navigated the challenges, which shaped consumer behaviour," Mr Droesch said.
"The majority of the country’s residents appear more aware of their health needs and are making the effort needed to manage their health better."
The Cigna report was conducted between November 23 and December 2, 2020, coinciding with the Covid-19 vaccine roll out in the country, and surveyed 2,253 people from key eight markets. Previous versions of the study were conducted last year from January to February, in April, May to June, July to August, and in October.
The National's UAE workplace salary guide - 2021
The view from The National
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206-cylinder%203-litre%2C%20with%20petrol%20and%20diesel%20variants%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20286hp%20(petrol)%2C%20249hp%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E450Nm%20(petrol)%2C%20550Nm%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EStarting%20at%20%2469%2C800%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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