More than half of the Middle East region's working professionals, 52 percent, have changed their working behaviors and/or attitudes as a result of the current economic downturn and the ongoing concerns that employees have vis-a-vis job security. In a recent survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East's number one job site, it has found that 32 percent of professionals have stated they are now working harder due to demanding added job responsibilities, while 20 percent have stated that job loss fears are prompting them to put much more effort into their jobs. By contrast, 27 percent of the region's working professionals have stated that work pressure remains intact at their workplace, compared to the pre-economic crisis era while 16 percent, are inclined to work much less citing themselves de-motivated to work during the prevailing economic situation. Job fears among professionals regarding job security found that 65 percent of the Middle East region's professionals were worried about the security of their job. The “reactions to economic conditions” May online poll series conducted by Bayt.com sought to understand from employees what measures they would take should they lose their job; how they feel their employer, or companies in general are dealing with the economic downturn; and the reasons behind job losses within their organizations. Participants were asked, if they would they consider taking a job with a lesser salary if they were to lose their job, Interestingly, 55 percent of professionals stated they would take a job that pays less, but only until they secure a job with the same or an ever higher pay. In a previous March-April poll, 55 percent of working professionals stated that they would accept no pay cut, instead preferring to lose their job. Overall, however, the latest poll found that working professionals are reluctant to work for less money - 9 percent would tolerate a pay cut of up to 30 percent of their current salary, 1.5 percent would tolerate a cut of up to 50 percent, and just 2 percent would tolerate a pay cut of over 50 percent. Ten percent of the respondents would take any job - regardless of the pay - yet surprisingly, 20 percent of respondents said that they would prefer to stay unemployed, as opposed to earning less money. “The recent poll, while shedding light on the prevailing attitudes and behaviors of the region's job seekers, also highlights the changing attitudes of professionals in the region. In terms of salaries and if people are willing to work for less, what we are seeing is that generally, professionals are now more understanding of the job situation, and if faced with the option of a job that pays less or no job at all, the former is now more preferable,” said Amer Zureikat, regional manager of Bayt.com. “It is very interesting to see today - a good six months since the global economic crisis took hold of the region - how Middle East professionals are currently feeling through polls such as these. What the results are pointing toward is the fact that working professionals are now seeking to ‘make the best of a bad situation' during the economic crisis, as opposed to being blasé and unwilling to adapt to the pervasive, challenging conditions.” When it came to why the respondents thought that people had lost their jobs in their places of work in the Middle East, attitudes were largely divided. More than a fifth - 22 percent - said that they believed the reason employees lost their jobs was because management were unhappy with their performances and the current economic downturn provided a good “excuse”. Almost a fifth - 19 percent of respondents agreed that it was most likely because those employees weren't profitable for the company, compared to the salary they were earning; while 18 percent said it was because those employees didn't get on well with management. Another 16 percent stated that the redundancies might well have been the result of “being in the wrong place at the wrong time”, while 13 percent believed it was because they were newest to the company. The polls also showed that overwhelming 80 percent agreed that employers were taking advantage of the current economic crisis to cut spending on employees to a greater or lesser extent. Another 7 percent agreed that cuts were being made, but only because they were strictly necessary, with just 4 percent finding that companies are giving the same benefits as before. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, 3 percent of professionals found that companies are in fact increasing employee benefits. __
