Dubai forum to address salaries and benefits

This will be the main theme of the 9th Annual Compensation and Benefits Forum being held later this month, from 30th April - 4th May, in Dubai.

The forum, which brings together more than 100 human resource practitioners from around the Middle East, will debate how reward and incentive schemes are impacting organisations all over the region.

Prospective employees, particularly from western societies, still have high expectations in terms of ex-pat salaries and benefits. The UAE is still seen as a high-income, low-expenditure place to work, with many employees taking the chance to earn high salaries and save money in a few short years before returning to their home countries..

However with the US dollar trading at record levels in recent months and living costs on the increase, the reality is that many employers in the region are finding that they need to offer increased packages to ensure the right candidate takes a position with their organisation.

Owen Mills, Marketing Manager at IIR Middle East, organisers of the Forum said: "The concern among HR practitioners in the region is that merely increasing basic salaries is not a wise move for those on two to three year contracts. Forecasts for the next year point to the US dollar weakening and soaring rental accommodation coming down in price. The result is that the ex-pat employee on a high fixed salary will be able to bank more money back in their home country and also benefit from a decrease in their accommodation and living costs".

"Staff doing the same jobs to the same standards will be better off, but what about the people footing the bill? Yes, maybe their staff will be happier but will company profits reflect the upturn in employee conditions? We are confident this forum will bring HR practitioners together across all industries to address this issue. They will learn, debate and explore answers to the many issues of how best to structure packages and reward employees", he added.

Increasingly a more 'performance related pay' philosophy is making sense to many companies who rely on immigrant workers in the region. The growing success of HR events such as 'Compensation and Benefits' points to the fact that employers are learning that they need to consider alternative packages and benefits if they are to get the most from their staff.