More than half (55 per cent) of UAE respondents in a survey are expecting a salary increase this year, while close to half disclosed that they had not received a pay raise in 2015.

The 2016 Bayt.com Middle East and North Africa Salary Survey, conducted by Bayt.com, a leading job site, and YouGov, a leading market research agency, revealed that in the UAE, less than one in five professionals (18 per cent) believe that their salary is competitive with other companies in their industry, while the majority believe that their salary is lower than the industry average (64 per cent).

When asked about the industries which offer the highest salaries, oil, gas and petrochemicals (37 per cent), banking and finance (30 per cent) and airline/aviation (29 per cent) emerged at the highest paying industries for UAE respondents.

About 51 per cent of UAE respondents claim the salary they earn is, at least to some extent, the main driver behind their loyalty to their company, while one-third (32 per cent) claimed their loyalty is not linked to the salary they receive.

Besides salary, long-term career advancement opportunities (40 per cent) and line manager (35 per cent) emerged as the most important factors driving employee loyalty in the UAE.

In terms of equal pay, while half (49 per cent) claim they are unaware, the largest proportion (27 per cent) with a point of view believed that men and women are paid equally for doing the same work.
“This study was especially designed to provide employers with insights into employee satisfaction levels with their salary and raises. This information is key to guiding both employers and job seekers, so the mismatch between salaries offered and expectations can be successfully addressed. Tools such as Salary Search by Bayt.com can help employers uncover the salaries that are being paid in their industry. The same tool helps professionals gauge their earnings against market average, and thus, learn whether or not they are being fairly paid for the job they are doing,” said Suhail Masri, VP of employer solutions, Bayt.com.
Promotions and Pay Raises
In 2015, around one in five (21 per cent) respondents in the UAE received a promotion, with two thirds of them (62 per cent) receiving an accompanying salary increase.

Surprisingly, close to half of UAE respondents (46 per cent) disclosed that they have not received a pay raise in 2015 at all, and 30 per cent of those who did were quite dissatisfied with their raise. In fact, only 9 per cent of UAE respondents said their raise was above the inflation rate; 17 per cent said it was in line with the inflation rate, and 52 per cent said the raise they received was below the current rate of inflation.

On the other hand, 36 per cent appear to be very happy or modestly happy with their raise, and 10 per cent believe that the pay raise they received last year was fair in light of their contribution to the company.

As for future expectations, a third (33 per cent) of UAE respondents expect a raise of up to 15 per cent, while a little over a quarter (28 per cent) do not expect to receive a raise at all in 2016. Another 16 per cent were unsure of whether they would get a raise.

Benefits, Bonuses and Promotions
In the UAE, approximately one in five (21 per cent) professionals receive overtime pay, and 43 per cent receive a company bonus or incentive plan. For those who receive a bonus, 67 per cent said they get an annual or year-end bonus, while 35 per cent get an incentive-based bonus.

Future Plans and Expectations
In the UAE, the majority of respondents (58 per cent) claim that they are planning on finding a better job in their industry within the next 12 months, while 37 per cent state that they will be looking for a better job in a new industry.

Expenses and Savings
With regards to the rising cost of living in the UAE, the majority of respondents say that they have witnessed an increase in their rent (80 per cent), food and beverage (57 per cent) and utilities (55 per cent). Another 35 per cent of respondents say they have also experienced increases in education, and 29 per cent mentioned entertainment as one of the major cost increases.

The increased cost of living has, in turn, hampered UAE professionals’ ability to save: 29 per cent of them admit that they save nothing from their monthly salary. Still, 60 per cent of the UAE employees manage to repatriate a portion of their salary to their home country.  – TradeArabia News Service