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Davies Ndumiso Sibanda

MANY workers are leaving employment to join the informal sector or to leave the country in search of better income and improved standard of living putting organisations in a difficult position in terms of experienced labour.

It is time employers recognised that the master and servant era is fast disappearing with the world having become a global village and with people desperate for jobs.

On losing jobs, many people especially those with skills that are in demand globally will move to where their skills are needed. It can take a few months to do the paperwork but eventually they leave.

In an environment like we have in Zimbabwe, the starting point is effective communication with workers and keeping them alive to what is happening and how secure their jobs are. 

It must be noted that things like education assistance, car schemes, housing loans are not attractive means to retain many workers. 

In-fact for most employees today, they will not even bother to get assistance in these areas as their houses are paid up, they buy cars for cash and pay for their studies.

There is also a need to be sensitive about balancing, keeping the organisation afloat and at the same time workers being paid reasonable wages. 

A large number of employees are holding onto jobs that do not add much value to their lives and losing the job is not a big issue. 

I have seen cases of workers with pending disciplinary cases walking away before the hearing, telling the employer not to bother calling a hearing. Not long ago an employer suspended a truck driver and the following day the employee was engaged on commission to take a load to Durban and when the employer called him back hoping to give him a warning and send him on an assignment, he told the employer to fire him as he had breached his contract.

I know of a chief executive who had to do serious firefighting after the board instructed him to put stringent restrictions on vehicle use and scrapped school fees for children at private schools. The board had to reverse the decision within hours after most managerial employees tendered their resignations over the issue. Thereafter most left as they felt insecure.

Employers have to ensure that whatever they do guarantees employee job security, their future and should build employee trust and create an effective work-life balance. 

The current environment gives most employees only a small portion of income that they need to survive and as such they turn to private businesses, which they are running while they are at work and they will nurse on a daily basis after work. 

In conclusion, all these challenges call for effective use of human relations skills and sensitivity to obtaining business environment otherwise the business will lose people and productivity suffers in the end. 

• Davies Ndumiso Sibanda can be contacted on: email: [email protected]