The biggest change that a large majority of the people are going to undergo with the new laws is the abolishment of unlimited contracts. As per UAE Law No. 8 of 1980, there were two types of contracts – Limited (Fixed Term) Contracts and Unlimited Contracts. They differed only in terms of rights and responsibilities.

The driving force of any decision made in the last year, professionally or personally, has been “The pandemic has changed things”. While that is an understatement, it does encapsulate the many difficult decisions companies had to make to navigate the uncharted waters of the time. Now we are at a point where companies and stakeholders can think of a world without the pandemic restrictions, even if it is not possible to be free of COVID itself. That has culminated in hybrid models around the world. We have already looked at how that has benefitted and enhanced employee experience.

HR is no longer a back-office function and HR leaders have become the champions of contemporary times. In addition, talent retention has become the centrepiece of any organizational strategy that is the result of wanting to compete and succeed. Nevertheless, such companies will have three pressing challenges to face up to this year.

The Great Employee Exodus or the “The Great Resignation”, as it is widely known globally, is one of the realities of the post-pandemic world. The key reason cited for the same is that employees now understand the value of work-life balance over paychecks and promotions. Staffers including those in senior-level roles are choosing to leave their current jobs in search of personal well-being and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The pre-pandemic culture of considering personal well-being as a burden rather than a priority that heightens performance is not acceptable to them anymore. This is not a change of mindset seen among a few individuals anymore, but an entire generation of employees who are re-writing the rules of workplace engagement. As the world slowly hobbles towards recovery, people across age groups, sectors, hierarchy and countries are quitting, with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ note to their bosses.