DUBAI: A new study by a jobs portal has debunked the somewhat widely accepted notion that workers would go for higher salary over anything else.
A poll conducted by Bayt.com showed that seven out of 10 professionals in the Middle East and North Africa region place greater value on health insurance instead.
Conducted over 9,000 respondents, the “Health and Wellbeing in the MENA” poll was done to gain insights on the health and lifestyle of the professionals working in the region.
The poll revealed that health insurance has become a top priority for jobseekers. In fact, 69% of the respondents said they would prefer working for employers who provide health insurance over employers that offer a higher salary. On the other hand, 25.3% of the respondents said that health benefits and compensation are equally important.
A majority (93.2%) of respondents also believe that it is the employer’s responsibility to promote health and wellbeing at work.
Officials said that the results of the poll can be attributed to the changing landscape of healthcare in the region. They also stated that providing good health benefits can be a sign that the employer is concerned of its employees and can help gain their loyalty.
The survey was conducted online from August 2, 2018 to September 23, 2018. The results are based on a sample of 9,810 respondents from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan among others.
