Wednesday, November 21, 2007

How to be a popular boss

Federal government employees, both nationals and expatriates, have hailed the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to raise their salaries by 70 per cent.’

I bet they bloody did.

The crackpot pay hike is not dependent on productivity or experience – though Khaleej Times says ministry staff have “pledged to work harder to further boost the country’s progress and development”. Which is good of them. And, remember, there was a 25% raise last year. It is aimed at combating rising living costs, but is the same as thinking printing more money beats inflation.

Without getting into the merits of whether these federal workers deserved such a dramatic raise, it is extremely unlikely private sector business would issue a blanket wage policy without tying it into some kind of performance/appraisal scheme. It also undermines efforts to attract nationals into the private sector. What private sector boss can match the sweeping generosity of the government? If you’re a national, apply for work at the ministry and sit tight, this says.


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