Top UAE part-time jobs: Here's how much you can earn

There is a strong demand for part-time job seekers in the UAE, especially for the roles of mystery shoppers, merchandisers and sales executives, part-time tutors and a number of other roles in major sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, retail, IT, e-commerce, and education.

According to recruitment and management companies, there is plenty of demand for gig workers but there is not enough supply for gig workers, especially over the weekends when the demand is high.

“Post the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, we are seeing an increasing demand for a pool of talent to work part-time, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors. However, the demand is during weekends, which makes it difficult as there isn’t enough supply in a fully-employed labour market,” says Vijay Gandhi, regional director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Korn Ferry, a global management consulting firm.

The UAE had allowed part-time jobs following the labour law changes in 2010 under certain conditions for people aged 18 and above.

Vineet Mehra, director for sales at Adecco Middle East, said there is a rise of on-demand or gig workforce during the pandemic as companies outsource some of their functions such as promotion and sales, marketing, technology, content, design into freelance or part-time workforce depending on their business goals and recruitment budget.

“We have observed organisations seeking to hire part-time workforce, especially gig employees for a weekend job opportunity, where the candidate can work or study in the weekday as well as earn extra income during the weekend. These opportunities require candidates to fulfil legal requirements for a temporary labour card and also submit an NOC from their existing employer, university or sponsor,” said Mehra.

Devanjali Rishi, associate director at Michael Page Finance and Accounting, said there is an interest from both organisations and candidates for temporary and interim roles.

“Hiring roles on a temporary basis offers companies the flexibility to get on board skilled candidates quickly and efficiently. We are currently in talks with clients who are launching new projects and companies that are restructuring their departments, and interim hiring is becoming a popular solution to cater to their requirements. Companies that need resources at short notice for various support positions find interim hiring cost-effective and an immediate solution,” said Rishi.

She said that, surprisingly, more candidates are now open to temporary and contract roles compared to a couple of years back, when professionals were more apprehensive due to the temporary nature of the job.

“Contributing factors to the shift in mindset is the increase in employer demand for interim talent and also the fact that candidates are now discovering the benefits of temporary work, such as the flexibility it brings, the variety of work and opportunities available and the fast-paced nature of this upcoming industry.”

Dh27 per hour for part-time jobs

How much can you earn as a temporary worker?

Rishi said one of the major challenges for temporary workers is lack of awareness about wages in general.

“This stems from the fact that the companies operating in the UAE market have traditionally always been skewed towards hiring more permanent staff. This has resulted in a lack of benchmarking and standardising temporary wages across various roles and industries,” added Rishi.

Mehra of Adecco said that ideal part-time work hours include 20 hours during the work week or weekends with a minimum pay of Dh22 to Dh27 per hour.

“If you would be happy to stay with a company on a short-time basis, taking these sorts of positions is probably a good idea. Having part-time staff reduces the hassles of hiring of full-time workforce. Part-time employees in most cases receive on-the-job training and full or partial company benefits during their assignment,” he said Mehra.

Most popular roles in demand for par-time jobs in UAE

Retail:

> Promoters

> Tele marketers

> Mystery shoppers

> Merchandisers

> Market research

> Cashiers

> In-store sales executives

IT:

> Helpdesk

HR:

> HR generalist

> Executives

> Data entry operators

E-commerce:

> Sales/promotional activities

> Brand ambassador

> Digital marketing executives

> Designers

> Website developers

> Delivery drivers

Hospitality

> Seasonal waiters/ waitress

> Chefs

> Housekeeping

> Hotel concierge

> Parking attendant

Education

> Tutors

> Specialized faculty members into niche subjects

Health and fitness

> Instructors

> Nutritionist

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi