Third of UAE employees want to continue working remotely on a full-time basis: study

A new study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Bayt.com says 86 per cent of UAE employees would like to work completely virtually or in hybrid environments post-Covid.

According to the ‘Decoding Global Ways of Working’ report, 43 per cent of UAE respondents said they are working in some form of remote arrangement. A third (31 per cent) indicated they would prefer to work at home on a full-time basis.

Meanwhile, more respondents said that diversity and inclusion have become more important to them over the past year, reflecting the diverse nature of the UAE population with a high portion of expats in the workforce. Of the UAE respondents, 70 per cent of young people and 77 per cent of people overall confirmed that these issues now impact their job preferences. When asked the question of if they would refuse a role that does not align with their personal beliefs on diversity and inclusion, 50 per cent of young people and 52 per cent overall said they would do so, almost aligning with the 51.4 per cent global average.

Read: Explainer: Have workplace savings plans taken off in the GCC?

In terms of environmental responsibility, 72 per cent said related issues have become more important over the last year. This figure is marginally higher than the 69.6 per cent globally, while 51 per cent said they would exclude companies that do not match their environmental sustainability beliefs, slightly lower than the 51.7 per cent average worldwide.

“The transformational workplace changes that transpired when the outbreak first emerged have been well-documented, with workforces suddenly forced to transition practices and processes to digital for continuity purposes,” said Christopher Daniel, managing director and Partner, BCG Middle East.

“The fact that the vast majority of respondents have indicated their wishes for remote working to remain to some degree illustrates their high satisfaction with the newfound flexibility and efficiency.”