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Middle East Edition
27th September 2021
 
THE HOT STORY
Dubai’s first virtual court to handle labour disputes is launched
A newly-launched virtual court is to handle labour cases in a Dubai free zone. Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and Dubai Courts said the e-court is the first of its kind in the region and would deal with labour litigation involving companies operating from the free zone and their employees. Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO & Managing Director, DP World – UAE Region and Jafza, said: "We are confident that this . . . will be a unique success story that will be emulated in many free zones across the world."  Chief Justice Jamal Al Jabri, Head of the Labour Court at the Dubai Courts, said: “Establishing a virtual court to handle labour litigations involving companies operating from the Jebel Ali Free Zone is a major step in developing the judicial system. This supports our ongoing efforts to meet the requirements of the rapidly changing world, thus complementing the existing integrated judicial service system. It will give workers access to justice, also protecting their rights, which are guaranteed by law.”
LEGAL
Petrofac to plead guilty to seven bribery offences in the Middle East
The UK Serious Fraud Office has charged oilfield services company Petrofac with seven separate offences of failing to prevent bribery in the Middle East between 2011 and 2017. The company indicated it would plead guilty. In a statement, chair René Médori said the charges concerned a “deeply regrettable period of Petrofac’s history,” adding: “Petrofac has been living under the shadow of the past, but today it is a profoundly different business.” Analysts at Jefferies estimated the fine would be in the region of $300m.
REMUNERATION
Calculating work rewards in Kuwait
Authorities in Kuwait are preparing a new mechanism to calculate rewards for excellent work in government institutions to motivate employees, reports Al-Qabas daily. Sources say the evaluation will be undertaken by an ‘automated system' that will preclude the need for human involvement.
REMOTE WORKING
Pandemic skewed view of remote work
Dr. Alexandra Samuel, a technology researcher who has worked remotely for 18 years, says remote working during a pandemic is not necessarily indicative of remote working per se. She writes: “For those who look at the past year and a half and say they aren’t cut out for remote work, my advice is not to throw in the towel just yet. Maybe it wasn’t remote work you hated. Maybe it was the pandemic.”
HYBRID WORKING
New book considers the skills needed to navigate the hybrid workplace
'Life's Non Conformities' is a new book by Salman Raza which looks at the skills that workers will require to navigate the new hybrid workspace. The author says sensitivity, emotional intelligence, listening skills, and effective communication will be of paramount importance in this novel era.
STRATEGY
Serco in Saudi Arabia hires local talent
Serco has appointed Nawara Al Osaimi to lead ExperienceLab in Saudi Arabia as part of the public services company’s plan to expand within the Kingdom and support the public sector in providing the best customer and user experience to both citizens and residents. Kristine Pitts, Director of Serco's ExperienceLab in the Middle East, said: “Nawara's joining marks an exciting new chapter for ExperienceLab here in the Kingdom and demonstrates our commitment to taking this capability to Saudi as a key target market for Serco and ExperienceLab. With a background in service design and design strategy, Nawara will take a leading role in establishing the capability in market. As a Saudi national she also brings a deep understanding of her country and its citizens to ExperienceLab's global expertise and experience.”
DIVERSITY
Saudi's Two Holy Mosques Presidency trains over 600 of its female employees
Saudi's General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has trained over 600 of its female employees who work as part of its agencies or assisting agencies, reports Gulf Daily News online. A total of 310 women are employed at the Women’s Development Affairs Agency, around 200 women work for the Agency for Women’s Scientific, Intellectual and Guidance Affairs, and the remainder work at the Agency for Women’s Administrative and Service Affairs.
TAX
New system is expected to double Egypt's tax revenue
Egypt’s largest taxpayers are now obliged to sign up for a programme to submit their invoices electronically as part of a system designed to bring businesses that had long slipped under the radar into the formal economy. Nearly 500 of the country's biggest taxpayers have already been signed up in the first two phases, in November 2020 and February 2021, and last Wednesday was the deadline for the remaining large business-to-business taxpayers in a final phase. The government wants the system to at least double national tax revenue over time. "My expectation is that with the completion of the easiest project, tax revenue will be doubled, from one trillion to two trillion" Egyptian pounds ($128bn), Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said, noting that  a potentially more complicated project of registering business-to-consumer companies will begin within six months.
PSYCHOLOGY
The risks of trying to be funny in the workplace
Research has found that women are seen as more likeable and competent than men after similar failed attempts at humour, write Dr. Taly Reich, an associate professor of marketing at the Yale School of Management, and Dr. Sam J. Maglio, an associate professor of marketing and psychology at the Rotman School of Management and the University of Toronto Scarborough. When bad jokes are told in the workplace, observers are more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to a woman than to a man, the research suggests. “Even when jokes go south, people think that women are being more attentive to their audience than are men,” the authors write.
INTERNATIONAL
China’s legal system must change to protect sexual harassment survivors
Lijia Zhang, a former rocket factory worker who is now a  social commentator and novelist, writes for the South China Morning Post about the societal prejudice and legal barriers in China that have silenced survivors of sexual harassment. A 2018 study conducted by the Beijing Yuanzhong Gender Development Centre indicated that of the more than 50 million lawsuits filed from 2010 to 2017, only 34 of them involved sexual harassment. Of the 34 cases, only two were brought by victims suing their abusers, and both were unsuccessful. The author says the legal system tends to favour the defendant in civil litigation and courts should place more weight on testimony and reconsider the ‘high degree of likelihood’ standard, which is challenging compared to other parts of the world.
Lotte Department Store offers early retirement packages
Lotte Department Store is offering early retirement packages for staff who have been with the company 20 years or longer.  The move is seen as indicative of Lotte’s difficulties in competing with e-commerce companies in the online era.  Lotte Shopping, which runs Lotte Department Store, reported sales last year of 16.18 trillion won, down 9% from 17.82 trillion won in 2018.  “It still lacks a clear strategy,” observes Kyeong Min-jeong, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities, noting that Lotte Shopping’s inability to become one of the major second-movers of the online shopping industry “is a risk.” Employees “tend to think that what was expected has finally come,” a spokesperson for the department store chain told JoongAng Ilbo, adding “Around 5% are expected to sign up since compensation is not that bad.”
Germany to scrap quarantine pay for unvaccinated individuals
People in Germany who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 are to no longer receive compensation for lost pay if they have to quarantine from November, health minister Jens Spahn has said. The government had been paying workers sent into quarantine for at least five days after having contact with an infected person or returning from a "high risk" area overseas. But that policy will end from November 1st, Spahn said after a meeting with the health ministers of Germany's 16 states. Getting vaccinated remained a "personal decision," Spahn said, but that decision would now "also come with the responsibility to bear the financial consequences."
UBS sued over stress induced mental health issues
A trader is suing UBS claiming the “toxic” work environment at the bank’s London office and “punishing workload” caused his mental health to deteriorate. Simon Rope is claiming upwards of £200,000 for negligence over an anxiety disorder which was caused by “the stress to which he was subjected in” the London office, according to his lawyers. In April 2018, Mr. Rope made two trading mistakes that caused him to cry in front of colleagues, City A.M. reports. After the incident he was signed off work sick and has been considered unfit to return ever since.

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