The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has won an Arab Ideas Award for its “Our Flexible Summer” initiative, a program recognized for successfully balancing employee wellbeing with high organizational performance. The award highlights Dubai’s strategic push to develop a future-ready public sector that places its people at the core of its operating model, offering a potential blueprint for the region’s private and public sectors.
Quick Facts
- Won Arab Ideas Award for workplace innovation.
- Balances employee wellbeing with organizational performance.
- Evolved from employee suggestions to government-wide model.
From Employee Insight to Government Policy
The initiative originated not from a top-down directive, but from understanding the real-world challenges government employees face during the summer months. DGHR identified the difficulty of balancing professional duties with family commitments, particularly during school holidays.
Responding to employee suggestions, the department developed a practical framework for flexible work. Before a full-scale rollout, the initiative was tested in a pilot phase across several government entities. This allowed DGHR to measure its impact, ensure business continuity, and maintain service delivery standards, effectively transforming a grassroots idea into a structured government policy.
Balancing Productivity with Employee Wellbeing
The program delivered a measurable positive impact on the employee experience while successfully maintaining productivity levels. According to DGHR, the initiative led to higher satisfaction and wellbeing, enabling staff to strike a healthier work-life balance.
The impact also went beyond the office, giving employees more quality time with their families. This aligns with broader UAE social goals aimed at strengthening community and family bonds, demonstrating that workplace policies can have a tangible effect on societal health.
A Blueprint for Dubai’s Future Workplaces
Officials frame the initiative as more than just a seasonal program, but as a model for developing employee-centric government policies.
H.E. Eman Saleh Bin Khatem, Executive Director of Policies and Programmes Sector at DGHR, commented, “This recognition reflects Dubai’s commitment to developing government workplaces that place people at the centre of progress. ‘Our Flexible Summer’ demonstrates that investing in employee wellbeing and maintaining high performance are not competing priorities, but mutually reinforcing outcomes.”
The process of listening to employees and co-designing solutions was central to its success.
“This achievement reflects an institutional approach built on a simple belief: the best initiatives begin by listening,” said Moza Mubarak Al Serkal, Acting Director of Policies and Programmes Support Department at DGHR. “What distinguishes the initiative is not only the results it achieved, but its ability to transform an idea that emerged from the government workplace into an institutional initiative with tangible impact.”
About Our Flexible Summer
“Our Flexible Summer” is an initiative by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department designed to provide government employees with flexible work arrangements during the summer. The program aims to help employees better balance their professional responsibilities with personal and family commitments during a period often marked by school holidays and lifestyle changes, without compromising organizational performance or service quality.
Source: Zawya
