So the issue of restructuring of the army and the security services is highly sensitive, even after the previous regime was brought down more than two years ago. In exchange for loyalty, the state has often granted tribal elders and military commanders dozens or hundreds of employee slots without any accountability of how many of those slots were filled or by whom. There are many employment redundancies and fake employment: Tens of thousands of names are recorded in the financial statements of the military and security institutions, but are practically nonexistent. But the military and civilian institutions are like protectorates whose leaders have chosen not to implement that system yet. It has made partial progress in civilian jobs. Yemen started its financial and administrative reform program in 1995, but so far it has not succeeded in applying the fingerprint time-clock system for public-sector employees. A worker requires one signature for showing up and one for leaving, but both are often signed at the same time. There are also no criteria for evaluating worker performance, except for teachers, who have specific lecture schedules. Given that the annual working days per employee number 302 - after excluding weekly, national and religious holidays - about 906 million work hours are wasted annually in the Yemeni government sector. Many think it is about one million for the civil and military corps. With no accurate statistics about the number of state employees, there are deep administrative imbalances. to 1 p.m., minus the time for breakfast, of course. So public offices are effectively open from 9 a.m. Employees in the financial industry are especially favored by their superiors and their personal schedules indulged.Īccording to the best estimates and personal experience, Yemeni government employees waste three hours a day (out of the seven-hour work day, according to the civil service laws). If you do find him, he would tell you that it is difficult to change that norm and that you should just be more flexible and accept it.Īt other times, you need months of follow-up to be able to reach the specific government worker who can complete your transaction, especially if it is a financial matter. You will not find him in his office, either. ![]() If you’re thinking of complaining about this employee to his boss, do not bother. It contains a stimulant with reportedly euphoric effects.) ![]() (Qat is a herbal plant whose leaves most Yemenis chew in the evening and at night. He would be going to either the qat market or to a restaurant where he will chew qat with his friends. Are we supposed to know that you’d be late and postpone our appointments for you?”ĭo not ask him what appointments he’s talking about. And if you do find him, he will most probably tell you, “Come back early tomorrow. This is because you will not find the employee you are looking for in his office after that time. If you must visit a government office in Sanaa or elsewhere in Yemen, never show up later than noon, or your appointment will automatically be postponed to the next day. In rural areas, farmers wake up daily at the crack of dawn and on the roosters’ crow, naturally and without the aid of any technology.īut the generation that staffs government offices, that holds educational certificates and embraces a superficial culture, have abandoned that cultural heritage and have not yet reached the threshold of an urban society having technological and information privileges. It is a habit of the rural farming community, deep-rooted and hard to change. and wake up at dawn with neither an alarm clock nor a wristwatch. That old man’s generation is incredibly disciplined. He did not look back and continued cursing. You have dashed any hopes we may have had in you.” He then threw his meal ticket in their faces and left the restaurant without seeking a refund. However, a young man standing in line cut more than once while ignoring the old man’s attempts to maintain order, so he shouted: “Damn whoever taught you, you are ignorant! Learn from me, even though I never held a book in my life. One time at a restaurant, an old man waited in line for carry-out meals. At the general societal level, the elderly are more committed and punctual, without any agenda for their daily appointments, which rarely changes. That rule has many exceptions, but they are nearly all confined to the educated elite who have had contact with other cultures. ![]() Official appointments and their associated meetings are often subject to last-minute changes. They express the importance of punctuality for meetings with a saying: “It’s an English promise, not a Yemeni one.” Yemenis abhor this habit, but yet keep practicing it. A meeting may be delayed by more than an hour because the meeting’s chairperson is late. And when that does happen, you’ll find that a number of participants have not yet arrived. Rarely does a Yemeni activity start on time.
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