Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — There is an increase in the number of government workers leaving work before they complete their contracted working hours, according to a study. Workers sometimes leave early or take breaks of up to three hours, according to a study conducted by the Institute of Public Administration (IPA). In the survey of 182 government institutions, 69 percent of workers have gone absent from work without a valid excuse. The study also showed that 59 percent of workers leave work before they complete their working hours. According to the research, 68 percent of workers regularly take three-hour breaks. The study revealed that 47 percent of supervisors do not monitor the productivity of their employees. The majority of people absent from work are married, indicated the study. Riyadh Al-Onaizi, member of IPA's training committee in Riyadh, said employees who do not respect their jobs are one of the main issues that threaten national development. He pointed out that there are many reasons behind employees not respecting their jobs, including their characters and level of education. Other factors are related to workplace rules and administration, such as incentives and supervision. He added: “The solution to all this is to strengthen the role of supervisory authorities and fix government administrations. There should be stiff punishments that prevent government employees from leaving work early or take long breaks. We have to also consider salaries, incentives and promotions.” Muhammad Al-Naji, member of the Shoura Council, said the problem lies with the clarity of job descriptions. “There will be problems when there is no clear outline of daily tasks. Job tasks should be determined and the role of the supervisors strengthened. “There are also other environmental factors to consider. We have to develop a positive attitude toward hardworking employees and to give them more incentives. “The same goes for lazy workers where we have to criticize their negative behavior at work until they fix themselves.” Al-Naji said that there are rules on how to manage lazy employees. If they were implemented, he said, laziness at work would not exist. He urged government departments to reward the achievements of employees with promotions and incentives. Abdulhamid Al-Amri, economic expert, attributed this problem to the old rules and regulations of the civil service system that he said are still being followed. He said employees feel frustrated because there is no clear promotion system. He said, “Most employees are stuck in the same position with the same title for a long time. Some employees are promoted because of connections. This has turned the working environment into an unproductive one. “Most employees are working hard and in the end, they are considered the same as those who are not working.” Amer Al-Khamsani, government employee, said: “The monthly income is not enough any more to meet rising costs and daily demands. Most government workers are trying to find other ways to increase their income. “Most employees these days do not honor their contract and they are not loyal toward their work. I have to mention that there is no supervision at work.”
