Australia and the Netherlands are addressing their unemployment problems in a unique manner. Instead of providing a job to each job seeker, they have two or more persons share the same job. Almost a third of Australian workers and half the Dutch women now hold part-time jobs.
I think such a system best suits our conditions in the Kingdom. Assuming we create 100,000 new government jobs every year, we could provide double that number by making two applicants share one job. Of course, this would require splitting the salary and other financial benefits to provide the minimum needed for a job seeker to lead a decent life. The arrangement also would create extra free time for people to pursue work in other areas and to augment their income.
The state would have to spend less on hiring public-service employees, which effectively reduces public expenditure. At the same time, it would provide us with the long-sought solution to an unemployment problem that is further aggravated by the increasing numbers of young Saudis entering the job market every year.
To overcome the problem of working hours, there should be a mechanism that allows for half the government employees to start work from 8 a.m. till noon with the other half starting after Asr prayers until 8 p.m. in the evening just before the call for Isha prayers.
Government offices would remain open from morning until evening with short intervals to allow for prayers.
Members of the public seeking to process paperwork at government offices would have ample time to do so. There would be no need for the employees to ask superiors for permission during the working hours to attend to personal business because there would be enough time for all to attend to both personal and family matters.
It would also save space, since two employees instead of one would be staffing the same station.
People would find more time to engage in leisure activities and develop their talents, enroll in educational or training courses and tap new sources of income, which might encourage some to leave the government job and work in the private sector. Of course, there also would be many challenges.
Governmental payroll costs likely would rise, and there could be some kind of backlash against current full-time workers making the switch to part-time work, but I think it’s an idea worthy of consideration.
