More than 50% employees in UAE expect salary hike in 2019

54 per cent of employees expect to receive a raise in 2019. - File photo

More than 50 per cent of working professionals across the UAE have said that they are expecting to receive a raise this year, new data by Bayt.com has revealed. 
The research study conducted in partnership with YouGov, showed that 54 per cent of employees expect to receive a raise in 2019, with 17 per cent expecting a raise of up to 10 per cent. In addition, 18 per cent of the respondents expect a raise of one to five per cent.
In terms of salary, 61 per cent of respondents claim that their current salary package consists of basic salary with benefits. While 23 per cent claim that it consists of basic salary only, 16 per cent said they receive a basic salary as well as a commission and benefits. When it came to the preferred pay structure, 58 per cent of UAE respondents said they prefer a '100 per cent fixed pay structure', 34 per cent said they prefer a 'partially-fixed pay structure with a variable pay for commissions and incentives', while eight per cent prefer a '100 per cent variable pay structure'.
Among the various benefits employees receive, personal medical insurance, transportation allowance, bonus, and family medical insurance are found to be the top benefits in the UAE. "Salary is an integral part of an employee's reward and the Bayt.com Middle East and North Africa Salary Survey 2019 aims to define major factors driving the salary expectations and how they are evolving," said Omar Tahboub, general manager of Bayt.com.
Among those surveyed, 56 per cent of all UAE respondents have been working in their current industry for up to six years, with 23 per cent having worked in their industry for more than 10 years. When it came to specific employers, 83 per cent of respondents have been working with their current employer for six years or less, with 49 per cent having worked for their employer for less than three years. 
In their current role, 27 per cent of professionals claim to be 'midway in terms of seniority' when asked about the level they have reached in their career path, with another 29 per cent claiming they are 'fairly senior level but not at the top yet', 26 per cent report being in the 'early days of their career', and 18 per cent being at the 'most senior level' they can achieve.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com