Dubai: You probably feel like going to the office is a drag. The work routine has become monotonous, and as you sit behind your cubicle all day, you keep looking at the clock that doesn’t seem to move.
A lack of meaning and fun in their jobs is a common refrain among professionals around the world, especially among the majority of workers in the UAE.
According to a new research by salary benchmarking site Emolument.com that covered respondents from 55 countries, job satisfaction levels in the UAE are one the lowest in the world, with about eight in ten (83 per cent) employees admitting they are bored at work.
“With very high salaries, UAE professionals are more likely to tolerate boring jobs or companies, even when working six days a week,” according to Emolument.com, which surveyed major expatriate destinations around the world.
The UAE’s office boredom levels are on par with Italy’s, where 83 per cent of the employees also find their jobs dull. “Due to the relative instability and uncertainty in the Italian economy since the 2008 crisis, many locals are often content with just having a job, and lack the confidence to quit, no matter how dull their working life.
This doesn't mean, however, that office employees in the UAE are spending less time at work. "Based on our previous studies, I would not say professionals in UAE are the least overworked," explained Hugo Ostyn, head of product at Emolument, in an email sent to Gulf News.
In one of their surveys, 67 per cent of UAE professionals did say that they don't love their job.
Singapore, another major migrant destination, also emerged on the most boring country list, with seven in ten (70 per cent) employees admitting they are not enthused about what they do for a living.
The least bored of all are workers based in Switzerland, where only a little over half (51 per cent) said they’re not upbeat about their work.
“Switzerland [is] not so boring after all. Often depicted as a peaceful, not to say boring country, it might come as a surprise to see that Switzerland is the country in which employees are the least bored, clearly finding motivation and dynamism in a balanced working and home life, and a high standard of living.”
Office boredom and its impact on employee engagement is one of the areas HR professionals are looking into. Some studies have suggested that low satisfaction ratings tend to result in low productivity or employee output.
“Boredom at work is a key issue for firms trying to keep [staff] engaged, especially in traditional industries such as accounting and legal jobs which can be perceived as dull while employers attempt to give young employees the satisfaction of making an impact in their work in order to prevent them from moving on,” said Alice Leguay, co-founder and COO at Emolument.com.
Suhail Masri of Bayt.com, said that in order to address the issue of boredom at work, companies must focus on engagement. “Employee engagement is a workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, are motivated to contribute to overall organisational success, and are able at the same time to enhance their own sense of well-being,” Masri told Gulf News.
Highlighting the importance of having an enthusiastic workforce, Masri said that employees who are engaged are “willing to go the extra mile for their company.”
“They are driven by passion and a profound connection that drives them towards success.”
