Davos: The UAE has showcased its experience in adopting a new work-week system early this year, becoming the first nation in the world to introduce a national working week shorter than the global five-day week.
Taking part in a session entitled ‘4 Working Days a week ... a necessity or a luxury?’, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, UAE Minister of State for Government Development and The Future, said that the UAE had been proactive in embracing new and future trends in government work, including new working systems — thanks to the flexibility and high adaptability of the government.
Moderated by Adam Grant, professor of Management and Psychology at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, the session was attended by Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO of New America, former dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University; Jonas Prising, CEO of Manpower Group, as well as other senior officials.
Aligning with global markets
WEF was held in Davos, Switzerland, from May 22-26, with the participation of more than 2,000 personalities, including government officials, global private sector leaders, academic institutions, experts and specialists.
Al Roumi said that the UAE implemented the new working week in government entities for four reasons including well-being, strengthening family bonds, economic growth as people with more time off spend higher in the domestic market, and to better align the country with global markets.
She added that the results of implementig the new working system in the first three months of the year have been promising. “Since January, the UAE government has been monitoring the effect on government staff and has found that 70 per cent of employees said they were more efficient, while there was a 55 per cent drop in absenteeism.
Rapid changes
The minister stressed that the work environment in institutions has begun to witness significant changes over the past two years, driven by advanced technological capabilities and solutions, and by the rapid changes brought about by the pandemic, which prompted many institutions around the world, including governments, to adopt flexible work systems.
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The discussions at WEF were structured around six themes: Promoting global and regional cooperation, ensuring economic recovery and building a new era of growth, building healthy and fair societies, safeguarding the climate, food supply and nature, promoting transformation of industries, and harnessing the power of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
