Introduction

The economic boom in Dubai is geared up due to its dedicated workforce. However to provide a comfortable and MOHRE compliant staff accommodation can be a big challenge for companies operating in this vibrant business landscape. However, take no worries! This blog post will unveil few top challenges that companies may face for staff accommodation in Dubai, while providing you priceless insights about their possible solutions.

Challenge No. 1

Finding a MOHRE Sign up Labor Camps and Their Compliance

UAE is striving hard to establish strict rules and conditions to ensure employees health and wellbeing. Therefore, the Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation, MOHRE enforces government rules and regulations within all types of staff accommodations all across UAE. Companies must consider the following factors carefully:

• Seek a MOHRE Approved Labor Camp: Consider a camp which is MOHRE sign up to ensure the life’s basic standards are met as per government’s rules and regulations. This will be the first step towards providing a decent living environment for your workforce.
• Gain Knowledge about MOHRE Rules: Your Company must keep itself updated on the latest requirements related to facilities, space allocation, hygiene standards, safety and security set by Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation, MOHRE.
• Comply With MOHRE Regulations: Your Company must comply with MOHRE regulations as if you didn’t comply, it can lead to heavy fines and your business may get troubled.

What is the Best Solution?

• Train Your Staff: Your staff must know the basic safety measures. They must know how to report if they need any maintenance within their accommodation. This can help develop a responsible culture to maintain the compliance.
• Partner with Accommodation Expert: Your Company must develop a partnership with accommodation provider that should be well-versed in MOHRE rules and regulations. This can keep you updated about the latest rules, requirements and facilities you need to ensure your staff’s wellbeing.

Challenge No. 2

Creating a Balance between Accommodation Cost & its Quality

The inflation and busy economic scene of Dubai have given rise to high cost of living, so staff accommodation is not exempted. Here are the major problems companies face:

• Pressure of Increased Costs: In todays’ economy where costs are increasing due to high inflation, providing a decent staff accommodation for their workforce has become an extremely challenging task. There are budget constraints that can force companies towards labor camps which offer basic living facilities.
• Workers’ Motivation & Productivity: When your workers have to accept a poor living standard, it badly impacts their motivation and productivity at work. That also leads to absenteeism and high turnover rate.

What is the Solution?

• Spend in Shared Accommodation: Consider for the affordable shared accommodation options and focus on providing the basic living facilities like neat kitchens, bathrooms, internet service and recreational facilities.
• Think out-of-the-box options: Consider new alternatives and cost-cutting options that can also provide a good living standard to your staff. Navigate shared apartments in budget-friendly neighborhoods or you can develop a partnership with your local expert accommodation provider that can provide you a well-maintained staff accommodation while staying within your budget.

Challenge No. 3

Managing the Maintenance and Logistics

To manage staff accommodation in a well-managed way, needs effective management:

• Timely Maintenance: Make sure your staff accommodation facilities are well-maintained. So make sincere efforts to address any maintenance and repair concerns promptly to keep the environment functional and clean.
• Location and Accessibility: If your selected staff accommodation is located away from your workplace, you will definitely face logistical challenges like long commute times and transportation issues.

What is the Best Fix?

• Choose the Location Wisely: Ensure you select a staff accommodation that is located close to your worksite. This will minimize the transportation time of your staff and will increase your staff’s productivity and motivation at work.
• Spend in Offering Prompt Maintenance Systems: Make sure you choose the staff accommodation wisely. Develop a preventive maintenance system and allocate staff to provide timely repair and maintenance within the staff accommodation to ensure a functional atmosphere.
• Invest in Regular Maintenance: Being a proactive manager, you need to develop a preventive regular and maintenance schedule to effectively manage the maintenance of the staff accommodation.

Challenge No. 4

Attract and Retain Talent

In todays’ competitive business market, the quality of staff accommodation can be a game-changer especially when it comes to attract and retain top talent. Here is the big challenge that companies face:

• Poor Accommodation Causes High Turnover Rate: Generally every employee prioritizes a decent living so poor accommodation causes high turnover, training and recruitment costs.

Solution:

• Offer Accommodation Benefits: Clearly state the quality of accommodation you are offering in your job postings. This will attract those professionals seeking for a balanced work-life experience.
• Take Feedback and Make Improvements: You must get feedback from your staff related to their accommodation and about the facilities you are providing them. Now use this feedback as a great tool for your improvement to enhance their living standards.

Challenge No. 5

Catering to Staff’s Diverse Needs and their Cultural Differences

Dubai is a melting pot of diverse cultures, here is the challenge companies face due to this diversity in human capital:

• Meeting Diverse Needs: Professionals coming from different corners of the world with diverse backgrounds have different dietary needs, social preferences and religious needs. So meeting their diverse needs can be really tough for organizations.

Practical Solutions

• Be Flexible: Having a flexible approach will be more effective here. Be flexible wherever you can related to their meals or required prayer places for religious practices to cater their specific needs.
• Foster a Community Environment: You need to encourage cultural exchange events within the camp or shared accommodation to foster a culture of mutual respect and a deep sense of belonging.

  Conclusion

To provide a good quality staff accommodation in Dubai demands a well-planned strategy that could balance cost and quality both with MOHRE regulatory compliance. It must cater to staff’s diverse needs to attract and retain them. You also need to effectively manage the maintenance and logistic side of your staff accommodation by choosing an accommodation located close to your workplace and by offering maintenance and repairs regularly and promptly to keep it functional. By understanding these top challenges and managing them effectively by through suggested solutions, companies can offer a great staff accommodation culture to their employees that fosters mutual respect and a deep sense of belonging.  By doing this you will contribute towards a happy and productive workforce.