Burnout is compounded in the UAE by workers feeling compelled to overextend themselves, as their residency is linked to their work visa, says Jo Simpson, the author of The Restless Executive.
The executive leadership coach moved to Dubai in 2005 to set up a coaching college, Coaching and Mentoring Middle East. She relocated her business home to the United Kingdom five years later before writing her book, which was published in the summer. Her coaching clients include Barclays, Lloyds, Cisco, KPMG, Microsoft, Nokia and L’Oreal.
She believes the global recession has driven leaders of all levels to seek deeper meaning from their lives and careers, and that ultimately understanding our core values will bring happiness and fulfilment.
“Burnout is prevalent in a lot of countries,” she says. “In the UAE specifically, people are dealing with colleagues and clients on different time zones and there is a pace of growth and exciting opportunities that lend to this problem. For a lot of people, their work visas being linked to their residence visas puts an unconscious expectation in place to work long hours.”
Simpson, 48, also came close to burning out when she left the UAE.
“I had adrenal fatigue and the cortisol levels in my body – which protect it from stress – were almost non-existent,” she says. “I had to take almost a year out to rest. As well as moving back from Dubai, I had moved house a further six times in five years, set up my business and entered a new relationship. While exciting stuff, it all takes its toll.”
In a study of 1,000 employees, the US coaching company Corporate Balance Concepts said that 5 per cent of employees suffered from burnout, while a further 40 per cent suffered from brownout (a less severe and more demotivated state). And a study by the American recruitment site Monster.com found that 42 per cent of respondents had left a job because it was too stressful and that workplace stress had caused illness for 61 per cent.
Consequently, many companies seeking to prevent burnout are focusing on their staff’s non-work life.
Simpson's book, The Restless Executive, is a "modern fable" focusing on the fictional William Cleverley, who has worked his way to the top but now feels a sense of restlessness. Through his true-to-life story, she explores the issues facing many workers.
But she emphasises that restlessness is a good thing. “It’s your body and soul nudging you to listen,” she says. “People often say redundancy or a health scare turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to them but the signs were already there, your intuition was already telling you. It is highly important that people set boundaries and really spend time working out their core values – what lights us up and gives us our energy – and ignite them.”
Speaking at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in March, Simpson talks of a client, Jane, whose core value was adventure. “She realised she was not honouring that, but I asked how she could make work into an adventure. There was an amazing transition in her – a vibe, a ripple coming off her into the office.”
The author says it’s important to listen to your intuition. Her own led her to leave the UAE, against all odds. “It didn’t make any logical sense. I had a great lifestyle, my business was at its peak, with a year’s pipeline of work. But my intuition was so strong that I knew I had to trust it.”
In tackling her adrenal fatigue, Simpson had to “put a stake in the ground” and learn to say no, choosing to work only in the UK. “It hurt, but for three years I wouldn’t accept any more work in the Middle East or any international travel. It allowed me to grow and flourish. Now I am back in the UAE once a quarter to meet clients.”
Simpson says she realised she wasn’t playing “the bigger game”.
If you feel you’re getting close to burnout a move away from the UAE isn’t necessarily the answer, Ms Simpson says.
“The only way to change to a less burnt-out lifestyle is to consciously change habits and patterns – or you will just take the same version of yourself elsewhere.”
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Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: AF Sourouh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
Naga
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
LEADERBOARD
%3Cp%3E-19%20T%20Fleetwood%20(Eng)%3B%20-18%20R%20McIlroy%20(NI)%2C%20T%20Lawrence%20(SA)%3B%20-16%20J%20Smith%3B%20-15%20F%20Molinari%20(Ita)%3B%20-14%20Z%20Lombard%20(SA)%2C%20S%20Crocker%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESelected%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E-11%20A%20Meronk%20(Pol)%3B%20-10%20E%20Ferguson%20(Sco)%3B%20-8%20R%20Fox%20(NZ)%20-7%20L%20Donald%20(Eng)%3B%20-5%20T%20McKibbin%20(NI)%2C%20N%20Hoejgaard%20(Den)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
