Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Dec 22nd 2012, 1:45 am
#16
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,096
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Four_%28audit_firms%29
I see. We can learn - even at my advanced age !
I see. We can learn - even at my advanced age !
Dec 22nd 2012, 6:19 am
#17
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Buraydah , Saudi Arabia
Posts: 2,863
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Moved to KSA recently and it is the easiest job I've ever had . Home by 1:30 pm every day , sometimes earlier .
Dec 23rd 2012, 6:58 am
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Motor City
Posts: 67
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Dec 23rd 2012, 7:04 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Motor City
Posts: 67
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Never a truer word spoken Millhouse.I think it totally depends on what your job is and who you work for. My previous positions were more hands-on in IT and I worked far longer hours (mostly correcting the work of others and playing 'mummy' to them) but I enjoyed the work and didn't mind the extra time.
Now my role is not so much hands on, for in a far bigger company and I work less hours than the UK. However, the days seems far longer now
I suppose the answer is you will probably work longer hours, but if you enjoy your role it doesn't matter
Dec 24th 2012, 2:18 am
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
I think employers out here expect you to take on more responsibility than at home, in a like-for-like job situation. I run a team of 11, and do far more myself than I would be expected to do back home.
Still - the gratitude you get for it varies. In KSA, they were generally appreciative of your skills and experience (especially if you took the time and trouble to impart some of it to local juniors etc) but in this country, the locals treat you like something they have just trodden in on the street...........
Still - the gratitude you get for it varies. In KSA, they were generally appreciative of your skills and experience (especially if you took the time and trouble to impart some of it to local juniors etc) but in this country, the locals treat you like something they have just trodden in on the street...........
Dec 24th 2012, 2:35 am
#22
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
I think employers out here expect you to take on more responsibility than at home, in a like-for-like job situation. I run a team of 11, and do far more myself than I would be expected to do back home.
Still - the gratitude you get for it varies. In KSA, they were generally appreciative of your skills and experience (especially if you took the time and trouble to impart some of it to local juniors etc) but in this country, the locals treat you like something they have just trodden in on the street...........
Still - the gratitude you get for it varies. In KSA, they were generally appreciative of your skills and experience (especially if you took the time and trouble to impart some of it to local juniors etc) but in this country, the locals treat you like something they have just trodden in on the street...........
That's quite curious actually.. if you are indeed talking about Emiratis. Why do you think that's the attitude?
Saff
Dec 24th 2012, 4:05 am
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Hey thanks for the response. When you say 'in this country' do you mean the UAE? (sorry not been on the boards long enough to remember where you're all living)
That's quite curious actually.. if you are indeed talking about Emiratis. Why do you think that's the attitude?
Saff
That's quite curious actually.. if you are indeed talking about Emiratis. Why do you think that's the attitude?
Saff
Very different traits across the different peoples, tribes, etc out here. In my experience, the further North-West you travel (Bahrain, Saudi), the nicer they become............
Dec 24th 2012, 8:24 pm
#24
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
I have visited all the GCC states and worked in 2. I agree with the above post. Emiratis and Kuwaitis are often arrogant. Many Saudis are charming - even some of the Pious Ones ! Certainly a lot better than the Kuwaitis !
Dec 25th 2012, 1:45 pm
#25
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,107
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Once again the responses here show two things:
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
Last edited by Miss Anne Thrope; Dec 25th 2012 at 1:48 pm.
Dec 25th 2012, 1:58 pm
#26
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Once again the responses here show two things:
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
I was also curious about individual experiences too.
Cheers,
Saff
Dec 26th 2012, 2:16 am
#27
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Once again the responses here show two things:
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
Dec 27th 2012, 9:27 am
#28
Token Scandinavian Bloke
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,820
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Once again the responses here show two things:
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
1. People (BE posters especially?) love to generalise from their own experiences.
2. Generalisations are almost always useless.
The premise behind the original question is simply not valid. Some jobs are harder, some are easier. Some employers are better, some are worse. In some places people work very hard, in some places they get away with dossing all the time. Here and in the UK.
It depends much more on your employer than anything else. Is it private or public sector, multi-national or local, manufacturing (unlikely but possible) or service or retail? Is it oriented towards the local market or is it a regional or global centre for your organisation? Are most of the staff professional "knowledge workers" or is it mainly relatively menial work?
Any and all of these factors will ultimately be much more significant in determining how hard you have to work than the basic fact that the job is located in this region.
I do agree with your sentiment though. It is definitely a question which is impossible to answer on a general basis due to the sheer number of factors.
Personally I reckon I work more or less the same number of hours as what I did in the UK. The key difference is that in the UK the weekend tended to be sacred whereas here I am supposed to feel lucky that I get a couple of days off....
Dec 28th 2012, 7:26 pm
#29
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 4,403
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
Do you mean Kunta Kinte darling? In which case it would be an oxymoron because he was a slave and therefore didn't get paid!
Dec 29th 2012, 10:00 am
#30
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
Re: Did you work harder in the UK than in the Gulf?
I have never worked hard. The odd day here and there but my job is simple, I'm clever, I find quick ways and am successful without working like a dog.
Quality over quantity. 8:30-17:30. Done.
Quality over quantity. 8:30-17:30. Done.