IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY WITH FLEXIBLE WORKING

Fatima Shafique shares some HR secrets, following the success of Sharjah National Oil Corporation’s new working patterns. During the Covid lockdown, a huge number of companies were forced to ask their staff to work from home. While a number of countries and companies have continued to enforce this, many employees have had to resume office working, after continuing remotely for over 12 months. Focusing on employee well-being is crucial to ensure employees’ productivity and their satisfaction with the company. Remote working during the pandemic helped many employees achieve a better work-life balance, as they were able to spend more time with their families. As such, the transition back to full time work has been difficult for employees and studies have shown that this is causing more absenteeism, low motivation and lower productivity levels, especially for millennials and gen Z’s. Employees had become accustomed to flexible working hours. ASSUMING NEW WORKING PATTERNS From 1 January 2022, the public sector of the United Arab Emirates adopted a new workweek. The order caused federal government organisations to switch to a four-and-a-half-day workweek, with Friday...