By the HR Observer Staff

Oman is looking to conduct major changes within the working system that would include the Individual Performance Appraisal System (ejada) and a four-day working week.

A Ministry of Labour official, Salem Al Busaidi, was quoted in the Arabic language daily Oman that the Sultate is looking at potential changes that must be approved by the legislative council first.

The “ejada” system is put to measure individual performance and institutional proficiency which are one of the components of Vision 2040 to evaluate individuals and government institutions.  The system aims to create the tools and standards that would ensure “a culture of excellence in job performance; improve performance appraisal systems, aiming to achieve performance governance and support the extra efforts of the employees and improve poor performance.”

Al Busaidi said that work is currently underway to develop the system by adding a job competencies matrix, which is divided into 4 levels consisting of three aspects: skill, knowledge, and behavior. Moreover, they want to link them to incentives and benefits to encourage employees to produce and organize work.

The official added that the ministry might study in the coming period to move to the four-day working week, after witnessing the changes that have been made in some countries by applying this system.

Within the region, Sharjah in the UAE has adopted the four-day working week. Belgium and Iceland in Europe have done the same. There have been studies that claim that a four-day working week does not have a negative impact on productivity.

Oman’s Ministry of Labor has revealed multiple projects they are looking to implement during the next two years, which will include flexible structures that contribute to raising government efficiency and the system for classifying and arranging jobs.