Winning first place in the “Employee Happiness Index” at the Dubai Government Excellence Program was no coincidence for Dubai Statistics Center.

Excellence in management that originates from real employee needs drove the center to this title for the eighth year running.

The Dubai Post team visited the Dubai Statistics Center to investigate how the organization reached an astounding 97.16% rate in employee happiness back in 2019.

Tariq Al Janahi Deputy, Executive Director and CEO of Happiness and Life, described happiness as a “culture” formed both at home and the workplace.

He explained that “A happy employee at work is happy individual at home”, and that the center created an internal standard for employees, which has shown its success over the years.

From sitting at the "Happiness Garden" to taking a short break on a massage chair, the work environment at Dubai Statistics Center is flexible providing joy and comfort.

The administrative model followed by the center is also keen on an open door policy, to erase the stereotypical image of administrative barriers in the workplace.

Doors of directors at the center are always open to new suggestions and innovations from employees, there is no need for establishing any formal meetings at all!

On the professional level, efforts of the employees of the Dubai Statistics Center are valued via internal honors, where the center offers employee happiness initiatives in its various bodies.

One of the most prominent of these initiatives is the "Happiness Cheque" initiative, whereby managers may offer leaving hour cheque as a reward for any of their efforts.

"Happiness cards" are also an example of the many initiatives taken at the center, where employees can exchange motivating tokens as described by Mishaal Al Hammadi, Director of Resources and Corporate Communication. These cards carry various local expressions like “good job”, “thank you”, “forgive me”, all of which help ease communication between employees and adds a friendly spirit to the work environment.

The first Sunday of every month marks the announcement of new promotions, good news, and a monthly gathering of employees to discuss general issues.  

On the social level, employees at the Dubai Statistics Center share with each other their happiest and proudest moments as one family at “The Happiness Wall”, as described by Aisha Karam, Director of Polls.  It is a place where employees may hang pictures of moments they want to share with their working family.

Afaf Bouasiba, Director of the Economic Statistics Department, expressed one of her most beautiful memories of the “happiest working family” and the social support and special gestures it provides to its employees.

“The picture of my daughter on the screens of the Dubai Statistics Center was a big surprise presented by the center on one of the many occasions.”

In search of some spirit? Watch this video for a slice of happiness shared by a big working family at the Dubai Statistics Center!