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Emiratisation and employers
Authorities are continuing their quest for Emiratisation. Can it be achieved? Is it even possible? And what will be the consequences? Kipp has no answers to any of those questions.
December 28, 2010 3:08 by Samuel Potter
First employers were baffled, now they’re worried about the fact they no longer have “control” over their employees, apparently. The National reports that “Hundreds of private company owners, senior staff and managers gathered at a Ministry of Labour seminar yesterday.” They were apparently all there to express their worries that the new labour laws will see them lose employees, as workers will shortly be able to leave after two years without an NOC, provided they have completed their contracts.
Kipp has been over this a couple of times, so we won’t repeat ourselves. But we will mention what we found striking: the comments from some of the employers. “After this news came out, our employees started threatening that they can leave as soon as their contracts are finished and not worry about the six-month ban,” said one woman who declined to be named.
Imagine that! Being able to leave a company once your contract is completed? That is totally unthinkable – an employee should pretty much remain the property of a company until it is done with them.
Kipp’s being sarcastic, of course, but sadly we don’t think we can say the same for the woman who provided that quote. “We used to have control over them, and we knew it wasn’t easy from them to go, now we will lose this control,” she laments.
If that’s the opinion of the majority of employers, we’re in real trouble, and we need a step change in the way companies approach their responsibility towards their employees. Fortunately, it appears that the government is at least a little more concerned for the well being and fair treatment of the work force than some businesses.
Leaving that aside for a second, Kipp thinks employers need to pick and choose their battles. Maintaining a vice like grip on an employee’s life is less important right now than addressing the ongoing move towards Emiratisation.
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3 Comments
I am really wondering why any employer should be worried. If anmy employer taking care of his employees, why they should leave? I just apply on myself , I am with this organziation since 1982 even got so many offers and some times higher in salary, but still loyal to where I am working till now. Why, very simple , TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND TREAT THEM AS HUMAN AND GIVE THEM ALL THEIR RIGHTS. Then no one will leave you.
We are talking here in general, ofocurse there will be many exceptions but we still look at the majority and general cases.
Hope such new rules will let all employers knows better the full rights of all employees like any other civilized country in the world.
The government in UAE trying their best to accommodate both employers and employees and to be fair to both .
So no need to make it big issue and hope the government will go on and not listem to any employer.
I find concerns of employers absolutely unjustifiable. Their zest to control the lives of their employees is absolutely antagonistic in any civilized society.
Human resource is a moving asset, and if remains free, it only gets redistributed within the market place. If anyone decides to move to a different market he/ she don’t fall under the purview of ban or NOC.
Yes eventually only best employers who look after the interest of employee will attract the best of the talent. The “Not too good” type of employers will certainly not remain at advantage and will certainly not be able to exercise intended control over the employee.
Instead of throwing money at private companies to try and get them to hire more Emiratis, the government needs to scale back the outrageous salaries of the public sector so there is parity with the private sector.
If government jobs also have longer hours, lower salaries and promotion on merit, as is the case in the private sector, that may force Emiratis to look for jobs that are interesting and rewarding in other ways, regardless of salary.
Also, work experience programmes need to be put in place for Emiratis while they are still in high school to give them a taste of what the real world of work is like. There also needs to be a cultural change, a total change in collective mindset, so that graduates do not leave high school or university and expect their first job to be in senior management.
Anywhere else in the world, most people’s first job is not their dream job and they have to start at the bottom and work their way up.