“Welcome to the Family” No it is Not. Your workplace is not family

Often times when you report for duties on your first day of work and are being on-boarded, you will likely be told “welcome to the family”. This is done to make you feel welcome and that you should feel at home and at ease. The idea of equating the office to a family, is to make you feel comfortable and that just as you would act at home, you will do the same at the office. Evidently, the idea of a family has benefits such as sense of belonging, knowing you are valued, there is safety, regular connection and communication, a dependable support system, there is empathy, there is active listening and sharing of feelings. This notion may be made in good faith and with genuine intentions and personally as an HR practitioner, I advance and push this idea at work to build a culture of working as a team which has tremendous benefits to the organization.

Be that as it may, this is not true. Family is an eternal entity. You cannot walk away from family even if you fought or quarreled over an issue. Family ties are stronger. They are bonded by blood and spiritual connection. Calling an organization a family can bring work colleagues together and make us feel connected to the place where we invest so much of our time and energy. Since we may work at the office for over 8 hours or more in a day, year in year out, it makes sense to bring the concept of family to the office. However, the building blocks of family are much more appealing than that of workplaces. Harsh as it may sound, people go to work, clock the hours, get paid and go back home to the family. Work helps sustain family needs and not vice versa. A company or an organization is a structured entity. It has strategies, policies, guidelines, rules and regulations that dictates how employees are to act and behave. Any deviation from these set of rules and regulations often have consequences including disciplinary hearings, suspensions, warnings, dismissals etc. In a family, much as similar actions may be taken, a family member remains a family member no matter the circumstances.

When companies are not doing well, they activate processes such as organization alignment/restructuring, organization development, change management initiatives etc. which often may lead to sadness, despair, anger, resentment and bitterness. At work, you are valued by what you bring to the organization in terms of performance which is actually measured. This cannot be the same or equated to a family. A supportive family provides emotional, physical and social benefits that help individuals grow, stay secure and thrive. It is a bedrock of society.  A family offers genuine and unconditional love, honest and genuine communication, spiritual elevation, mutual respect, quality time together, learning other than punishment, emotional support, empathy and shaping the future.

This then brings the question, what do we do at work?

• Firstly, treat workplace as it is, a workplace. Show up, do a good job, follow the rules and regulations, get paid and go home. After all, you applied to get paid right. Intuitively, always develop a contingency plan of life after work. At any given time, anything can happen at work which you may not have planned for. This could range from sudden end of contract, incapacitation due to illness/accident, dismissal etc.
• Secondly, always have a plan of what you can do if there was a sudden change in employment status. These may include having savings, invest in your education (get that degree, masters, PhD, certification), build a business, build that house etc. Always have Plan B.
• Thirdly, invest in your personal health. Ensure that you stay mentally and physically healthy by exercising (Hit that gym, go mountain hiking, jog, eat well). Live stress free and ensure you are spiritually grounded. Spiritual connection brings clarity and keeps one in check. Work very hard, but not at the expense of your health and mental well-being. Meet those friends of yours and enjoy life.
• Fourthly, create strong family ties. Always ensure you build strong family ties. We work to sustain our families hence it only makes sense to have stronger bonds with our loved ones. Family will always be there after all is done. Strong bonds with kids and family always brings a sense of success and happiness.
• Be good to people for no reason. It does not hurt to be kind and empathetic to others. Always do good as what we do to others reflects back to what we receive in return. The universe circles back. While at it, always be humble.             

 

PENSION IN MALAWI: GOING FURTHER…

Since the enactment of the mandatory Pensions Act of 2011, Malawi has made positive strides in ensuring that all working human resources in private and public sectors are put on pension and have a fallback upon retirement. This has seen pension reserves hitting over two billion in just under three years from the private sector alone as government is yet to fully commit to bankroll all of its workers on pension. Due to the smooth running of the pension this far coupled with good management of the funds by pension fund managers such as NICO, Old Mutual etc., there is public confidence in the mandatory pension scheme despite other challenges and setbacks such us non remittance by other employers.

The mandatory pension scheme indeed has provided social and financial security in retirement. Pension funds provide financial security and stability during old age when people do not have a regular source of income. Pension funds also ensures that people live with pride and without compromising on their standard of living during senior years. The resources from pension gives an opportunity for investment. Employees are thus able to accumulate savings and get lump sum amount as regular income through annuity plan on retirement. Accumulated savings through pension funds, contributes significantly towards wealth formation which is vital to creation of investments. If properly channeled, the investments from pension funds may positively contribute to economic growth through infrastructure development etc.

However, the current Pensions Act is only restricted to those in formal and organized employment leaving out the informal and an unorganized sector. These include vendors, mechanics, fish mongers, Malawians leaving abroad etc. who are actually in large numbers than the ones currently covered by the Pensions Act. This means that a large proportion of the Malawi population is not covered and likely to face challenges in old age as they do not have savings in form of pension. The country also loses out as investible funds that could be generated from this group of people is not collected.

This therefore brings the concept of Voluntary Pension Scheme. This is where those in the informal sector are encouraged to join voluntary pension schemes and voluntarily make contributions to the scheme at a set minimum figure. Typically, this should arguably be the cheapest pension plan as the amount contributed is generally small supported by government framework and policy. It should be set up to be a non-withdrawable account meant for savings for retirement and the emphasis being on the fact that it is purely on voluntary contribution basis. The advantage of this pension scheme is that it is regulated by government and as such not prone to abuse by fund administrators as it monitored by the central bank. Courtiers such as Nigeria, India, Ireland and many others have introduced voluntary pension system and the benefits can be observed.

Is voluntary pension system the missing block in Malawi? Would introduction of this system help in reducing suffering of the unorganized social workers in old age in the country? It is my considered view that voluntary pension system would indeed help a large pool of the undocumented workforce currently left out by the law to be cushioned from lack of savings at retirement. It also entails further creation of jobs in pension fund houses and agents.  It is therefore my hope that policy makers and partners such as Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of Malawi etc., would explore this area for its feasibility and practicality.

THE MILLION DOLLAR WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT QUESTION

There is a wave of sexual harassment cases going around in workplaces around the world especially in the film industry. A day has not gone by without a case where an accusation has been made of sexual harassment from Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman to Jeffrey Tambor just to mention but a few. One significant common similarity in all the cases involving workplace sexual harassment is that men have been known to be the major perpetrators of the vice. In Malawi, few if not none of cases of sexual harassment come out and an action taken against the perpetrators. The million dollar question that comes out of this is: do issues of sexual harassment happen or take place in places of work in Malawi? If the vice is present, why are the cases not reported?

It is a fact even without conducting a comprehensive research, that sexual harassment cases do take place in workplaces in Malawi. These may range from unwarranted sexual advances, unwelcome or unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that leads to discomfort or humiliation, offensive gestures, sexual favoritism where a person who is in a position of authority rewards only those who respond to sexual advances or those who bow to sexual demands whilst other deserving employees not submitting themselves to such sexual advances are denied fair rewards. The list is endless.

The impact of sexual harassment on the business cannot be overlooked. Such effects of sexual harassment may involve amongst others absenteeism, demotivation, disengagement, lower productivity, high labour turnover and a disruption of relationships within the workplace. One of the sad thing in this aspect is that Human Resource Practitioners in Malawi are in the bandwagon of being perpetrators of sexual harassment. Human resource managers have been known to seek sexual favors from job applicants and sweeping under the carpet issues that have been reported to them especially where it involves top managers and other wielders of power.

It is imperative for organizations and indeed human resource practitioners to set up deliberate policies that aim at addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. The policies should aim to combat and deal vigorously with any incidents of sexual harassment which may take place by providing a procedure for reporting, correcting and dealing with such unwanted behaviour. All forms of sexual harassment should be eliminated and human resource practitioners should create a culture that detects and prevents all forms of sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace. Sexual harassment cases should not be ignored or swept under the carpet. They should be thoroughly investigated and all culprits should face appropriate sanctions. The human resource practitioners in Malawi should be champions of this  function by making sure that victims of sexual harassment are protected and that in no way are they victimized. They should endeavor to ensure that any victimization that may result from lodging a genuine complaint of sexual harassment is dealt with the utmost severity. 

TOP 5 TRENDS IN 2017 THAT WILL AFFECT THE HR PROFESSION IN MALAWI

The top 5 HR trends have been derived from my assessment of how 2016 was with regards to employer-employee relations and the environmental (social, political, technological and economic) impacts on the practice. The economic environment of Malawi in 2017 looks dark as per economic forecasts which will see lower growth rate, continued high inflation, hunger, water and power crisis as well as lower productive capacity of the country which ultimately affects HR practice. The job market will continue to shrink causing both job seekers and employees to have less leverage, which will cause salaries to stagnate and employers to invest less in staffing and employee benefits. The following are some trends which will affect the HR space in 2017 which HR practitioners should be aware of so that they can devise appropriate strategies that will see smooth implementation of their activities:

     1. High Tension Relations Between Employees and Employers

The economic slowdown of the country will continue in 2017 as there are no visible immediate solutions to the problems that Malawi is going through. Productive capacity of Malawi will continue to be hampered by the low energy levels and water problems. Due to the shrinking economy, high inflation and continued effects of hunger, high tension relations will continue to exist between employers and employees characterized by demand for more wages/salary to cushion employees from the economic hardships. More strikes and sit-ins demanding better pay will increase especially in the civil service and government agencies. HR professionals will be faced with the challenge of balancing between employer and employee interests. This will require the HR professionals to be abreast with negotiations skills in order to ensure harmonious relations in the workplace and reduce disruptive actions that become as a result of out-of-hand industrial actions.

   2. Shrinking Job Market

The job market in Malawi will continue to be flooded with trained graduates and skilled pool of talent with less practical experience. However, the hiring appetite of employers will continue to be low due to the economic environment in Malawi. The demand for hiring from within (internal recruitment), job enlargement and job enrichment as well capacity building of employees will be focused more as the craving for external recruitment will drastically reduce in the year. This means that the HR market will remain static and HR professionals will have to devise strategies that will leverage this trend and remain proactive in the management of organization’s key resource, human resources.

   

   3. Increasing Use of Technology and Social Media In The Workplace   

The ever-changing technological environment means more technology will continue to be the bedrock of business success for Malawian organizations in 2017. Those that have the technology will continue to make improvements on it and those that do not have, will have to play catch up to ensure that they are not left behind. Software, computer analytics and digital HR will be a trend that HR professionals in organizations will have to embrace for spotting, attracting and retaining relevant human resources in the workplace. Social media will continue to be part of the organizational culture that will either foster or impede employee performance. The use of WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other social networks will be used more to disseminate information either as grapevine or official company information. 2017 will all be about apps and will probably offer a more integrated user experience. It will be more of smart phones influencing most operations in the workplace. This will require HR solutions that are assessable via smart phones e.g. training. HR professionals will have to be aware of these platforms so that they can leverage on the information therein for betterment of information dissemination and raising positive company profile. Capacity building on digital HR and social media awareness will have to be emphasized among HR professionals to be abreast with critical trends which have the potential of affecting employee performance. 

        4. From Intuitive HR To Fact/Evidence Based HR

Since the institutionalization of HR as profession in Malawi, HR practitioners have tried hard to justify the relevance of the profession in assisting the organization to achieve its goals. HR practitioners in Malawi have made reference to literature of the strategic business partner model where HR plays an integral role in the fulfillment of the business goals. In 2017, the HR space will be pressured to provide evidence/facts on success factors it brings to the organization in terms of improved employee performance, improved productivity, team spirit and harmonious business environment. There will be a high demand for HR practitioners to use HR analytics, Balanced Score Cards etc. to justify the impact of the function in the organization. There will be a high demand for HR to provide more data in justifying the HR budget/costs for the function to remain relevant and seen to bring positive impact on overall organizational performance. The HR space will have to strike a balance between the softer HR which focuses on emotional intelligence, psychological contract, teams building, capacity building, rewarding, employee engagement and motivation to scientific-fact based HR where there is measurement of HR output.  

         5. Interesting Workplaces

Aside financial and development needs that employees require from their work, there are social needs that employees aim to fulfill when they go to work. Employees are not dead logs or dead camels that should always be told what to do or follow rigid tedious regulations. 2017 will present the HR practitioner in Malawi with the challenge of providing interesting work that fulfills both organizational and personal goals. The memo based communication will be challenged with the desire for more fluid communication via email and other internet based platforms. The HR professional will be required to grasp the fact that employees want to be paid for doing their work while having fun and enjoying what they do. As indicated somewhere else, ‘making fun’ is serious business. Social activities, telling jokes, WhatsApp groups and social football will characterize the business environment which HR should prepare in advance and embrace them for the betterment and enhancement of performance in the organization. 

HOW THE HR PROFESSION IN MALAWI IS STUCK AND HOW TO GET IT LOOSE!

Human resource management has become a pervasive and influential approach to the management of employment in all organization. This is so because more effective management of human resources positively affects performance in ministries, government departments and in private organizations both large and small. Globally, human resource management has become recognizable both as a profession and field of study due to positive impact of strategy implementation. Despite this plausible fact, there are several challenges to its development in Malawi. Confronting these challenges, could go a long way in liberating the stunted growth of the HR profession in Malawi.

It comes not as a surprise when a story appears in one of the daily news papers or on tabloids about a strike at a certain company. It is also not a bolt from the blue to hear of the back log of cases at the Industrial Relations Court of which some date as far back as 2009. We are also not surprised when we hear a colleague being called to attend an interview or start work for a job they applied two years ago. We are now used to interviews that ask candidates to mention how many buttons there are on their shirts. Unfair dismissals, failure to adhere to laws of natural justice during disciplinary hearings are order of the day. Lawful and procedurally fair administrative action, which is just in relation to reasons given where rights, freedoms, legitimate expectations or interests of employees are affected or threatened as demanded by the constitution, are never an issue to HR practitioners in Malawi. The questions that arise out of all this are that does the current HR team of practitioners in Malawi have the adequate knowledge to manage human resources? Are human resource practitioners knowledgeable enough about Malawi Labour Laws? Is there a legitimate human resource management body that regulates how human resource managers operate in Malawi?

Owners of businesses willingly accept human resource management as a profession if the HR department contributes to the achievement of the goals of the organization. Human resource managers here participate in developing strategies and ensure that human resource dimensions are considered. It is a fact that managing human resources is an intricate contractual obligation because people are social beings that have needs and wants that are always changing. Most HR practitioners currently in Malawi have the experience but luck intellectual caliber necessary to manage the contemporary employee. Similarly, there are a lot of young, well trained intellectuals in human resource management that lack experience to effectively manage human resources and yet this is the generation that will change the game! This is the dilemma that the profession is currently facing in Malawi. To trade of between experience and intellectual know-how in human resource management is increasingly becoming problematic. Coupled with lack of an apt and legitimate human resource management regulatory body has led the HR profession in Malawi to be stuck and therefore no meaningful progress can be seen.

In order to get the HR profession loose and progressive, there is a need for a holistic approach where all human resource intellectuals and practitioners in Malawi come together and structure a body that is inclusive and a true representative of the values, principles and tenets of the profession. This would be a body where practitioners can get professional advice on matters arising from their prospective organizations. It would also act as a body that would train and develop human resource managers on contemporary human resource management activities. It would also provide a platform where Labour Laws of Malawi can be interpreted so that all HR practitioners can easily understand and apply them. The body would also lobby to government and law makers on favourable laws that positively bring sanity to the employment relationship. A body that does not only have dinners once a year but rather tirelessly strives to see the good of the profession!  

Time is up for a docile human resource management team in Malawi. Human resource practitioners in Malawi need to be transformative, proactive and have the urge to do the right things. There is a strong need to be more visionary, inspirational and persuasive to stimulate employees and other stakeholders to do desired things. Ultimately, this shall help make the HR profession in Malawi become fully grown, respectable and an inspiration to Malawian kids to grow up and become human resource managers!

THE BUSINESS OF POVERTY PRODUCTION IN MALAWI: OF UN-PATRIOTIC MALAWIAN PRESIDENTS

Celebration of Martyrs Day on 3^rd March each year in Malawi provides an opportunity for all of us Malawians to reflect on our past, build on successes and turning our failure into opportunity. Malawians who lost life and property fighting for our liberty deserve so much respect and admiration by all Malawians today because they showed us that true patriotism requires selfless fight for a good cause even in the face of suffering and death. Their souls rest in eternal everlasting peace.

When the martyrs fought for our freedom, they wanted all Malawians to be liberated entirely from political, economic and social conditions at the time. They wanted a Malawi that provided endless possibilities for its people. They wanted to see a Malawi free of impunity and suffering. They wanted a government led Malawian sons. They wanted to see a government of the people, by the people for the people. Taking stock of the strides that Malawi has taken over the years, Malawi has achieved so much in areas such as health, agriculture, human rights just to mention but a few. The successes we have achieved so far as a country can not be over-emphasized.

However, there is one thing in common among our leaders that remains a challenge and cause of concern. Most of our leaders have shown their endless desire to keep the people poor and destitute for their own political mileage. Instead of bringing policies that really transmute communities and the people at large, our leaders continuously implement policies that erode the sheer hope and optimism that people of Malawi have. It is disheartening to see our presidents who publicly swore to protect and preserve the word and spirit of the constitution, being in the forefront raping the same constitution left, right and centre. The constitution tips all persons responsible for the exercise of powers of the state that they do so on trust and that they should only exercise such power to the extent of their lawful authority and in accordance with their responsibilities to the people of Malawi. They are therefore required to be transparent, accountable and responsible while running affairs of the state. To our dismay however, there are always revelations of mismanagement of public funds starting from Dr. Bakili Muluzi to Dr Joyce Banda. The question that we ask in this is, are our leaders conscious about poverty reduction in Malawi or they are in the business of making Malawians more poor?

Leaders are supposed to be beacons of light. They are supposed to bring hope to the hopeless. They are supposed to bring anger in the people to work hard to change their lives, those of others and develop their country. How do law abiding citizens work hard when they know that the huge tax they are paying to the government will be embezzled by a few corrupt and selfish government officials? The recent Cashgate and Jetcash revelations have left so many Malawians disoriented and hopeless because Malawi could accomplish a lot should such resources been used for poverty alleviation in the country. Much as the incumbent President Joyce Banda may distance herself from these scandals, she is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing that these incidences do not happen under her watch. 100 days into her presidency, I asked President Joyce Banda what her agenda was for our beautiful country http://www.nyasatimes.com/2012/08/12/president-joyce-banda-what-is-your-agenda-for-malawi/. Poverty alleviation requires that people be empowered economically, socially and politically. To achieve this, there is always a requirement to use policies that create jobs for millions of Malawian youths in desperate need of jobs, sound economic management that encourage entrepreneurship, development of the education sector and strengthening of the health sector.

The dream by the late President Professor Bingu wa Mutharika to turn the nation from a predominantly importing to a predominantly exporting one was a step in the right direction because this leads to creation of real wealth. It is in my view that giving out handout in terms of shoes, flower, cash or clothes diverts people from focusing on real things that can move people up the poverty line. As we move closer to elections, it is my utmost hope and prayer to my fellow Malawians to put into government leaders that will tirelessly work hard to reduce poverty levels in the country. Selfish and corrupt leaders must not be allowed to take up crucial positions in our society because doing so leads the country in a path of self destruction. I urge my fellow Malawians to take a leading role in ensuring that our leaders are accountable for their actions by taking action when things go wrong. Active citizenship is needed to show our leaders that they have crossed the line. So Malawians lets wake up and repossess what has been stolen from us and end our poverty. No one can stop light from shining. No matter how dark the night is, there is dawn.