It's the great office debate that has caused heated arguments in workplaces around the world for decades – what temperature should the air-conditioning be set to and who has their finger on the controls?
The subject continues to spark debate in the UAE even as summer comes to a close, with the mercury hovering just below 40°C on most days.
In 2019, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal, PLOS One, found the perfect temperature may be different for men and women.
More than 500 students took part in an experiment in which they were tested on maths, verbal and cognitive-reflection problems in rooms set at various temperatures between 16°C and 32°C.
Raising the temperature by one degree was linked to a 1.76 per cent increase in maths questions solved by women. The score of the men participating dropped by 0.63 per cent under the same conditions.
“What we found is it’s not just whether you feel comfortable or not, but that your performance on things that matter – in maths and verbal dimensions, and how hard you try – is affected by temperature,” said Agne Kajackaite, head of a research group at the Social Science Centre, told CNN at the time.
Health warning
Dr Basem Arnaout, a specialist in orthopaedic surgery at Burjeel Hospital in Al Ain, said switching from blazing outside heat to an icy office environment can affect health and well-being.
“Abrupt transitions from cold to warm environments can indeed impact the body, causing changes in muscle behaviour and affect a person's overall activity level," Dr Arnaout said.
“When temperatures drop below a certain range, it can reach a level that adversely affects the muscles and impairs blood circulation to these muscle groups. Veins and arteries need an appropriate temperature to efficiently transport blood throughout the body and reach the muscles."
He said if that is not possible a person will likely feel fatigue and exhaustion.
“Consequently, the extreme temperature difference poses the most substantial risk. It leads to various issues with nasal mucous membranes' secretion and creates a favourable environment for bacteria and viruses to enter the body, resulting in headaches, throat and tonsil inflammations, and colds."
He believes the ideal range for AC is between 25°C and 28°C.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority advises householders to set their AC unit to no lower than 24°C to save on energy consumption.
Doctor's advice
Dr Amal Kamal, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Mediclinic Al Madar in Al Ain, agreed that it was important to limit the change in temperature from being outdoors to indoors.
“Firstly, adjusting the AC temperature is crucial. The disparity between indoor and outdoor temperatures should be minimised.
“Secondly, it's advisable not to direct the AC airflow directly towards the face and to maintain a distance of 1.5 to two metres between you and the AC unit."
He also offered general AC maintenance advice for when at home.
"Neglecting AC maintenance can lead to health issues caused by the contaminated air it circulates.”
David Mackenzie, group managing director of UAE recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones, said workers have a right to complain if the AC setting is affecting them, but he admits resolving the problem can be challenging.
“The common talking point across the world I think is the AC,” Mr MacKenzie said.
“Employees have the right to complain. The difficulty is that you have to be very aware that if you’ve got people in the office, every single person has a different view.
“So, for example, if you’re someone that gets cold very easily, we don’t take these people anywhere near an AC vent, they typically go and sit somewhere where there is no AC unit or output. So, you just need to be very clear with people about that.“
Wider concerns for the planet
Apart from causing friction at work, there are wider concerns over the use of air-conditioning and its effect on the environment.
The International Energy Agency predicts that the number of AC units in use around the world could increase by 244 per cent by 2050, as global temperatures rise.
Air conditioning has been blamed for creating 4 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, according to researchers at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
It has led to calls for countries to adopt alternative methods to keep the heat at bay, from shaded windows to improved ventilation.
Air-conditioning in the UAE - in pictures
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
