Working from home has made UAE workers more productive and happier, according to new research.
The majority of workers favour a "hybrid" model that allows them to either work from home or in the office, according to Life and Work Beyond 2020, a study commissioned by global cloud computing company Avaya.
In the early days of the pandemic, widespread stay-home measures were introduced in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. It also led to people working from home, a trend that has remained despite restrictions being eased last year.
The result is working from home has become the norm for many, with mixed results on the impact of productivity and people's general wellbeing.
A key requirement for business success in 2021 and beyond will be building a hybrid model of work
The study, carried out by by research firm Davies Hickman Partners, was based on 10,000 interviews in 11 countries, including 517 respondents from the UAE.
The survey found that 51 per cent of those surveyed in the Emirates felt happier over the past year as a result of working from home.
People in the UAE are particularly keen on work-from-anywhere models, with 64 per cent saying the option of being able to work from home or the office contributes to their happiness.
More than half (51 per cent) of workers said returning to the office full-time would be their biggest worry, while 44 per cent identified being replaced by automation as a major concern.
On the flip side, 40 per cent of UAE employees said they were concerned about having to work from home for the foreseeable future.
"By understanding employees' concerns about the workplace, both now and in the future, business leaders and government organisations can determine the best routes forward," said Nidal Abou-Ltaif, president, international, at Avaya.
"The key finding, however, is that 40 per cent of UAE employees actually worry about working from home forever, meaning that a key requirement for business success in 2021 and beyond will be building a hybrid model of work that suits the needs of every employee."
Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of UAE workers have the technology necessary to work from anywhere, the study found.
Many employees struggle with creating a suitable working environment at home, with 47 per cent expressing a desire for a larger working space, and 33 per cent saying that working from home was not appropriate for family life.
Almost a third (30 per cent) said they did not believe that their employers trusted them to work from anywhere, and 37 per cent said that they did not believe their employer put an emphasis on their well-being.
The research is based on interviews with employees in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, US, Canada, Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland. The research assessed how our values, relationships with businesses and working lives are changing.
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
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