UAE Workers Are Facing Burnout Due to Toxic Employers and Low Salaries

Employees in United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reported negative impacts of the workplace on their mental health. Recent research by a management consulting firm, Qualtrics, has revealed that UAE workers are feeling completely burnt out, emotionally drained, and need support from their bosses at offices. Revealing the state of the workplaces in UAE, Employee Experience 2023 report showed that 36% of workers feel burnt out and 43% are emotionally drained due to toxic work culture and poor salaries. Qualtrics suggested that companies that want to save their budget but still want their employees to remain productive should recruit managers who create better work-life balance. This way, employees will be more than happy to go beyond their job descriptions (JDs). Head of EX Product Science, Sarah Marrs, as quoted by Arabian Business, noted that workers’ expectations have significantly changed, and the progress cannot be reversed. She remarked that the people now focus on their basic needs due to economic changes and there should be transparent communication to resolve issues of workers. Employees require assurance about their job security and work-induced burnout from their employers, she added. According to Sarah, employees who are satisfied with their salaries are 74% more likely to stay for more than three years at their workplace and if they are dissatisfied with their pay, it compels them to search for better opportunities. She recommended companies to conduct frequent inspections to ensure their employees are paid justly as per the other competitors. Around 85% of workers go beyond their company’s expectations if it offers them an excellent work-life balance. In the contrast, only 35% will do the same in a poor workplace. Hence, work-life balance is important for the businesses’ overall performance. During the pandemic, many things went wrong with work, making it challenging for people to do their jobs well. But in the UAE, they utilized technology to make work easier and better, and this helped many employees be more productive. Approximately, 81% of workers in the UAE said that their work processes helped them be productive, which is better than the rest of the world where only 65% of workers said the same thing.