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Middle East Edition
21st June 2021
 
THE HOT STORY
AccelerateHer programme will empower talent
The third edition of DIFC FinTech Hive’s AccelerateHer programme will this year support as many as 40 female participants, compared with 14 last year. A hybrid  structure combining both virtual and in-person elements means the programme will be open to global participants. Raja Al Mazrouei, executive vice-president of DIFC FinTech Hive, said: “DIFC’s commitment to fostering a world-class pool of diverse talent is central to our strength, both as a global financial centre and a leading innovation hub. We are proud to bring together a wealth of expertise across our community, forging varied and valuable connections through initiatives such as AccelerateHer in order to fulfil our mission to drive the future of finance.”
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Oman programme to create a knowledge-based labour market
Oman’s recently-launched National Employment Programme (NEP) aims to create a local labour market populated by nationals who are qualified and skilled in their respective fields. Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, the Minister of Labour, said that the NEP stems from Vision 2040, which stresses the necessary improvement of educational outcomes to build Omanis' confidence in their identity and commitment to their social values. “This is attainable through increasing the quality of basic and higher education and developing scientific and educational curricula, so that graduates are acquainted with competitive qualifications and employability skills to enter the local and international labour market,” the minister observed, noting that the programme will provide an adequate level of productivity and competitiveness to build a knowledge-based economy and enhance job security in the private sector.
Webinar identifies skills for sustainability and employability
The College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) in Doha has hosted a webinar entitled ‘Improving and Enriching the Human Capital of Qatar through the Identification and Development of 21st Century Skills for Sustainability and Employability.’ Dr.Mothana Al-Kubaisy – Director of Institutional Excellence at CNA-Q, said: “We continuously aim to launch projects that facilitate the knowledge and technology transfer developed at CNA-Q to guarantee student employability and success. Among these projects is the study of 21st Century Skills, which reflects a deep observation of our economy’s core. Today we celebrate the progress and the results of a one-of-a-kind study in Qatar that will culminate in potential policies, strategies, and guidelines that can serve our country across different sectors.”
New initiative for employment in Qatar
Qatar Chamber’s Education Committee has met with officials from Silatech, a local social development nonprofit non-governmental organisation that seeks to connect young people to jobs and enables resources for them to establish and sustain successful businesses.  Silatech aims to empower and employ those born in Qatar or children of Qatari women.
WORKFORCE
Bagpipes and barbecues: incentives abound to lure staff back to the office
The fine line between enticement and coercion to lure staff back to the office will become a divisive issue in global workplaces as lockdowns ease, writes the FT’s Andrew Hill.
REMOTE WORKING
Switch to more home working risks increasing gender inequality
Experts fear a rise in gender inequality in the workplace as more people switch to working from home after the pandemic. Professor Cary Cooper, a psychologist from Alliance Manchester Business School in the UK and president of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, says that unless more men take up flexible working, women could be left at a disadvantage. Most employment experts agree that organisations will have to monitor closely how new working policies are adopted by staff once coronavirus restrictions are lifted. “Companies have to take this seriously and build a cultural model in their organisation,” says Katy Fridman, founder of talent platform Flexible Working People. “The onus is on the employer. There has to be encouragement across the board [for flexible working] from seniority to entry-level staff and whatever gender, so there isn’t a disparity, or this could very well set women back.”
LEGAL
Most remote litigation services in UAE to become permanent
Eighty per cent of remote litigation services in the United Arab Emirates are to become permanent by the end of the year, according to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The remote services were first adopted in order to adapt to the pandemic. "Today, we directed the Ministry of Justice to have more than 80 per cent of remote litigation sessions on a permanent basis before the end of 2021. Our goal is to be the fastest, the best and the fairest in judicial services," Sheikh Mohammed said.
HIRING
PwC hiring spree
PwC is to increase its global headcount by 100,000 over the next five years as part of a $12bn investment designed to capture a booming market for ESG advice.
INTERNATIONAL
Deloitte says staff can work from home forever
Deloitte’s 20,000 UK staff can work wherever they want when Covid restrictions are lifted, the firm’s chief executive Richard Houston told staff on Friday. Employees will not be mandated to be in the office for a set number of days or in specific locations. “That means that our people can choose how often they come to the office, if they choose to do so at all, while focusing on how we can best serve our clients,” Houston said. He added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to embrace the benefits from the last 16 months of being able to spend more time at home, while our people can be flexible in the way they work and reconnect with their colleagues and the office as needed.” The firm's move goes further than its Big Four rivals KPMG, EY and PwC, which have all said employees will be required to go into the office at least two to three days a week. Deloitte is also considering whether staff could work abroad for a period in the future, the Telegraph reports. Commenting on the news, the paper's Ben Marlow questions how any organisation can expect to foster a culture of collaboration if its entire workforce is communicating from behind a screen.
German union urges Amazon workers to strike on 'Prime Day'
Germany’s Verdi trade union is urging workers at seven Amazon warehouses to go on strike today for several days to coincide with the retailer’s global Prime Day promotion. The union said the three-day strike was being organised as part of a continuing battle with Amazon in Germany over better pay and working conditions. "The workers in the mail order centres have to cope with the rush of customers and don't get a cent more for the additionally intensified workload," said Verdi representative Orhan Akman. Verdi has been organising strikes at Amazon in Germany since 2013 to protest low pay and poor conditions. An Amazon spokesperson said the company offers excellent pay and benefits.
US firms lure staff from Magic Circle with bumper starting salaries
The Sunday Times reports that US law firms such as Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis are luring junior lawyers away from Britain’s 'Magic Circle' practices – Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Slaughter and May - with huge pay packets. This month, Milbank increased base salaries for newly qualified (NQ) lawyers, including those in London, by $10,000 to $200,000 (£140,000). Following the move, Davis Polk & Wardwell increased NQ pay to $202,500 for first-year associates worldwide, which was matched by Akin Gump. This compares to magic circle base salaries for first-year solicitors of between £90,000 to £100,000.
British-owned avocado farm drops lawsuit over abuse allegations
Kakuzi, a British-owned avocado farm in Kenya, is withdrawing a lawsuit against charities that supported alleged victims of abuse by the farm's security guards. The move comes after British supermarkets stopped selling the farm's produce following reports last year that its security guards had allegedly attacked villagers and workers. The farm's British owner, Camelia, earlier this year paid £4.6m to alleged victims of abuses in a settlement. However, Kakuzi then launched a lawsuit against charities in Kenya that had publicised the settlement. It is now understood that Tesco and Sainsbury's are considering using the supplier again if there is enough evidence of progress on human rights issues. 

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