84% would exercise more if their workplace had a gym or offered discounts on gym memberships
A new survey by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, revealed a variety of insights about lifestyles of professionals and how employers can elicit a healthy change in the workplace. According to the ‘Health and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey, the majority of respondents (94%) have the intention to become regularly active and follow a healthy diet and 80% reveal that their work schedule allows them to allocate time for physical exercise.
Interestingly, 92% of respondents believe that employers should be involved in the health and wellbeing of their employees. Further, 28% of respondents prefer working for an employer who provides health insurance over a higher salary, 13% believe that higher salary is more important and 59% believe that they are both equally important.
Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “Our latest survey highlights how an increasing focus on health is shaping MENA job seekers’ choices and what employers can do to promote a holistic approach to wellness at the workplace. The main aim of our research is to help both professionals and companies create a supportive environment to boost happiness and give rise to important conversations in relation to wellbeing.”
Professionals in the MENA region look for multiple health and wellbeing aspects while searching for jobs. These include relaxed and friendly environment (58%), flexible work hours (23%), health insurance (12%), gym facilities or free memberships (5%) and healthy meals or snacks (2%). In fact, 84% of respondents claim that they will exercise more if their workplace had a gym or offered subsidized gym memberships.
On a positive note, 70% of respondents say that their employer provides them with a health and wellbeing plan, workshops, or educational sessions. 80% believe that their current workplace provides a relaxed and happy atmosphere. Additionally, two-thirds of professionals (66%) are satisfied with the level of communication that exists within their organization.
According to survey respondents, employers can take several actions to contribute in reducing stress at the workplace. These include offering a flexible workplace environment (53%), providing time / resources for physical activity (24%), organizing more social activities for the team (17%) and encouraging healthy eating habits (5%).
Data for the ‘Health and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey was collected online from October 3 to November 2, 2022. Results are based on a sample of 2,833 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan among others.
