THERE IS NO DOUBT that the increasing pressures being faced by workers in today’s world are very real. As a result, there are many who are going to work and find it difficult to give of their best, or even produce at the required level.
In essence, while some workers are on the job, they are simply drawing a salary for doing very little.
While many may be quick to cast blame on tardy employees, perhaps even going as far as labelling them as lazy, some employers are equally responsible for the state and level of unproductivity that is crippling companies as well as the country.
It is time this issue is addressed, and there’s no better time than in 2017 dubbed the Year of Productivity.
Clearly there are issues that confront us now which make it difficult for employees to properly function and give an honest day’s work. These issues, according to the Productivity Council and the National Initiative on Service Excellence (NISE) – two entities that continue to provide empirical evidence – cannot be ignored.
Presenteeism is a reality of today’s working environment and it is even more dire than the chronic problem of absenteeism. Figures provided by the Productivity Council show that based on international information, for time lost on the job, presenteeism is estimated to be about 9.6 days per worker per year, compared to absenteeism which is about 2.2 days per worker per year.
Factors like depression and anxiety are having a serious impact on how workers produce on a daily basis, as they operate in environments in which downsizing, layoffs and favouritism are very much a reality.
These are all matters that ought to be addressed especially by employers who must do their utmost to provide an atmosphere in which positive and productive relationships can exist, and where employees are encouraged to give of their best on any given day when they show up for work.
Employers must realise the significant loss to their organisations if these matters are not dealt with as a matter of urgency. While many workers are grateful they have a job that enables them to meet their financial obligations, whether it is paying bills or putting food on the table, these same workers are disgruntled and unhappy at work. Again, employers must get to the root cause of this disengagement.
This certainly cannot be a good sign if productivity is low and output is a concern.
There is no doubt that our human resources are our biggest asset because without people, businesses would be doomed. Hence, employers need to get to the bottom of these problems and provide the right environment for their workers to ramp up their productivity.
While it is easy to pretend that mental issues are not a huge component of loss of time on the job, the reality is, they are and that is why we support the concerns and call from psychologist Reverend Dr Marcus Lashley, who also chaired the National Mental Health Commission, in making a case for workers to have mental health days off.
Companies cannot afford to have workers just drag their feet at work and not perform to their optimum. In this year of productivity, we all need to be productive.