JEDDAH, 26 January 2006 — Private hospital reception employees have been complaining of long hours and low pay recently, and they are demanding more benefits, Al-Madinah Arabic daily reported last week. They also demand annual salary increases that have been granted to other employees in other companies.
Hospital reception employee Naif Al-Jeddani said he works eight to 10 hours a day for SR1,500 a month. “We face a lot of hassles from people because we are working in direct contact with them. Despite that, the hospital does not want to increase our salaries or improve our condition. I am bearing with this condition because I have no other choice. If I find a better offer, I will move,” said Naif.
The condition is also affecting female receptionists. A female employee said that she gets only SR1,200 from the private clinic she works in. She said that more than SR700 of it goes for transportation and she spends the rest on her family. She said that she is living in a difficult condition and she has no other choice but to work like this.
Eman Al-Omar, night shift receptionist, said that working at night is very dangerous, especially for women. She said that she gets off work at 11 p.m.
Muhammad Idrees, manager at Al-Ansar private hospital, said that every profession has its own troubles and difficulties. He said that the job of a receptionist is the most difficult because “he or she is dealing directly with the public. They are the marketing side of the hospital, and if they’re happy, the patients will have a more pleasant experience and they’re more likely to return.”
“I believe it is the right of reception employees to ask for 30 days’ annual paid vacation according to labor law. I think that we as administration department should consider their situation and they should be granted the emergency and sick-leave vacation because they are human beings and they have family and other commitments. As for increasing their salaries, I believe that it depends on the employees and their productivity. If they are productive, then they should get raises,” said Idrees.
