It is noted that new ways of delivering services are springing up using science and digital technology as its harbinger. Automobiles are being designed to run on electricity instead of gas, cars are designed to be smart, factory and assembly lines are automated, robots are taking over regular activities while customers want more for less at the speed of light.

Future-work will depend largely on tech and tech-adaptability. Competition for the patronage of the customers will largely be fought in cyberspace; a borderless space with little or no regular. The new-normal, remote working, e-commerce, and offshoring / on-line facilitated transaction among nations will play a major role in the jobs that will be relevant in the future and remain sustainable.

WHAT ARE THE 10 FUTURE WORK TO LOOK OUT FOR?

We have listed the most sought after and highly paid jobs-in-demand based on analysis from job sites and requests made by employers for recruitment and placement. Also, we have observed that these skills are short in supply thereby necessitating businesses having to seek them outside their internal pools and sometimes outside the shores of Africa.

1. MEDICINE AND MEDICAL SCIENCES: This is rated as number one and the following specializations are highly placed

• Anesthesiologists (Cardiac or heart surgery anesthesiologists)
• Surgeons
• Physicians
• Orthodontists
• Psychiatrists
• Radiologists
• Pharmacologists
• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Expert
• IT / System Engineer / FinTech ( Software engineers, Data Manager or scientists, Java Developers,)
• Supply Chain Management / E-procurement expert
• Product, Sales, Marketing, or business development Manager
• Corporate Lawyer and attorney – Alternative / Commercial Dispute resolution lawyers
• Researchers and creative writers
• Construction and building engineer
• Investment Managers and real estate developers
• Agriculture and agribusiness consultants (Farm Managers)

 In conclusion, it is apparent that work, as we presently know it, is undergoing enormous transformation and redesign. Technology and digital innovations have altered task delivery; skills that are relevant and highly-priced some decade ago are suddenly becoming obsolete. The 5^th generation network will completely change the ways things are done.

To be relevant in the future that technology and science are driving we must as a matter of urgency change our perception to work and hone our skills to fit into the new-normal and workplace new reality.

True to prediction without embracing technology and ICT some careers and works will be pushed out of existence and such job-holders will become totally irrelevant in the future that beacon on us.

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THE FUTURE OF WORK AND FUTURE WORK

UNDERSTANDING CAREERS THAT WILL BE IN HIGH DEMAND IN THE

NEXT TEN YEARS

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Today we live in a fast-paced, high-speed, scientific, and technology propelled world; a world whose future will be shaped by cloud technology, Artificial Intelligence, future 5G starting from 2021 with a promise of a single-digit millisecond latency.

It is interesting to note, that what we prized today as skill and ability will likely become obsolete some few decades away from now except they are ICT and technologically compliant. That some skills, jobs, and work will become totally un-useful to the new enterprise, and customers’ demand should not contemplate doubt to our minds.

In this article, I will take a futuristic look into the future of work as we presently have it, bring out the changes that we are likely going to see and what we should do to fit in into the future requirements of business enterprises, change in customer’s need and the career or job that will play a significant role in the future.

WHAT IS WORK?

Simply define; work is the exertion of energy or effort and the commitment of skills and abilities to achieve a pre-determined purpose. Work has a utilitarian value in the sense that such an effort must be value-based and create an outcome that serves society or meet the needs of others.

Work is the first assignment given to man at creation and serves usefulness both to man, the business interest as well as the society at large. Work in its present state requires over 80 percent of effort or energy, this holds true especially in the developing and third world nations of the world. However, with technology, this is changing and will move in the direction of 85 percent knowledge and 15 percent of energy or physical strength in about a decade and a half from today.

It is worthy of note that if your work requires 80 percent of your energy or physical strength please mark my words that without you embracing technology and investing in self-improvement, tech-enhanced capability such skill will become irrelevant in another 15 years from now. I am not a prophet of doom but a writer and researcher on the side of reality, someone who would rather look at global business trends and the requirements of the future enterprise.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF WORK?

The NeXtGeneration5G, disruptive technological innovations, and digital networks that guarantee ultra-high-speed internet capacity are the forerunner of future work. Opportunities generated by technology will create and reshape work in such a way and manner that will determine the directions of businesses, government, consumer behavior, and job requirements.

Careful consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on businesses around the world which resulted in a lockdown and social distancing has brought about flexible work processes, remote working, tech-enhanced processes that create opportunities such as drone-delivery, which is likely going to impact traditional logistics and cut down on person-to-home delivery. Today, scientific innovation in robotics has made it possible for robots to perform surgery, classes being taught via remote platforms such as GoogleClass, Whiteboard, and Zoom.

The world is now moving in the direction of digitalization, living in smart cities; cities that will be powered by high-tech innovation such as smart transportation without traffic officers, digital courtrooms and session, reliable payment platform, driverless cars, automated production lines, and robot-body-guards.

WHAT CHANGES ARE TO BE EXPECTED IN WORK?

1. Blue-collar or high energy-consuming works will be taken over by robots with a high level of reliability and precision.
2. Manual work will gradually give way to automated platforms such as automated fuel-dispensing, self-serving air-port procedures; digital controlled traffic lights, and automated production management, etc.
3. Lean management, lean production, and automated production lines that minimize downtime, material wastages with emphasis on just-in-time and electronics material planning.
4. Downsizing, right-sizing, collapsed structures and delayering thereby, reducing headcount and manpower requirements for businesses
5. Flexible employment, part-time job, and off-shoring. Organizations will go lean and prefer people that could work from remote locations at a reduced cost.
6. Life-long employment will gradually be phased out except in public sectors, job security will only depend on productivity, it will be knowledge-based, and value creation.
7. Some courses in our universities and colleges will become obsolete and irrelevant to future businesses and societal needs. 

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Suffice to say that Part 1 of the Nigerian Labour Act, Chapter 198 of 1990 makes general provision as to the protection of wages, contract of employment, terms, and conditions of workers’ employment.

This provisions of the Acts rest on section 17 (1) that states thus: Except where a collective agreement provides otherwise, every employer shall, unless a worker has broken his contract provide work suitable to the worker’s capacity on every day ( except rest days and public holidays) on which the worker presents himself and is fit for work as aforesaid, he shall pay to the worker in respect of each day on which he has so failed wages at the same rate as would be payable if the worker had performed a day work.

It could be seen from the above, two key criteria that guarantee worker’s income during a period like this are:

1. Provision of work by the employer, and,
2. The ability of the worker to present herself for work.

Note, however, that with COVID-19 and the compulsory lockdown by the government, these provisions could not be realized, why, because the employer could not provide work and the worker could not present himself for work.

However, section 17 (1) (b) made provision for temporary emergency or other circumstances beyond the employer’s control and clearly states that (the period of which shall not exceed one week or such longer period as an authorized labour officer may allow in any particular case), the employer is unable to provide work, the worker shall be entitled to those wages only on the first day of the period in question). Here there is a restrictive clause that makes the payment of wage in case of emergency to the first day of the emergency or lockdown as the case may be.

It is clear from the foregoing that job security and income assurance can only be implemented based on the ability of the company to engage in regular day-to-day business activities and the assurance of the worker to work and earn income. If the lockdown situation is prolonged, companies will run out of operational and production capacity and the workers would lose their jobs.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SALVAGE THE SITUATION

As we expect and hope that there will be a scientific breakthrough in the search for a vaccine or cure for the COVID-19 pandemic, it should be noted that the government has a herculean role to play in ensuring job security and some level of income protection especially for workers in the private sector.

The government needs to support the private sector employers by rolling out palliatives and measures that will assure them of government understanding of their plights. Business owners need government support to enable them to make a strong commitment to workers retention and some level of wage security; A glean into what countries with the highest rate of job security do will help us in this regard. The countries are Switzerland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, and Germany; these countries took decisive and critical steps to prevent massive job loss during a period of emergencies. What can be done, will or may include the following:

1. Tax relief for businesses. Value Added Tax, Company Income Tax, and Personal Income Tax should be written off for a period of time.
2. Provision of free healthcare thereby taking off the burden of an organization contributing to the health insurance scheme or taking up healthcare bills for their workers in isolation or that are affected with the coronavirus.
3. Bailout funds should be provided for companies whose operations have been obstructed by the lockdown
4. A pledge that companies will retain their workers especially those in self-isolation
5. Reimbursement of paid sick leave for workers on self-isolation or confinement by the government.

It should be noted that the private sector’s employers cannot be compelled or forced to retain their staff at a moment of emergency, such an arrangement can only be achieved based on negotiation and the ability of the government to carry business owners along using NECA, TUC, and NLC.

Also see: STRATEGIES FOR ENSURING INCOME GUARANTEE DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

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The economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic would long live with us as a people. It is hoped that a quick solution would be found and mainstream economic activities kick-started once again. With a projected $ 220 billion income loss in developing countries, falls in oil price and by implications government revenue, therefore it won’t be inappropriate to say that job security and income guarantee would be threatened in the immediate and foreseeable future.

However, for a proactive worker, it should not be blurry and threatening as others would want to view the situation. Job security and income guarantees are absolutely possible even in the face of the Nigerian and global economic lockdown.

STRATEGIES FOR MAINTAINING JOB SECURITY AND INCOME GUARANTEE

1. STAY POSITIVE.

The human mind is powerful, its steers us in the direction of our most pressing desires. At a time like this, we must cultivate a positive attitude and believe that the COVID-19 pandemic will pass and work-life will be back to normal. Never entertain doubt or lose focus. Staying positive will enable you to overcome whatever decision may be taken by your organization and give you the alibi to press on.  Note that a positive mind is like a moving vehicle that cannot be stopped; negativity kills before time and causes depression. To overcome the COVID-19 challenges and get back to work in a good state, you must stay positive and be optimistic.

• MAINTAINING GOOD MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.

To remain on your job and get the assurances of earning an income requires good mental and physical health. A sit at home order, cutting out interaction with colleagues at work, taking added responsibility of caring for the kids at home, having to incur more expenses and the fear of possible job loss can result in mental health challenges when it is not properly managed.

To enable you to stay fit and be mentally prepared for the world of work after the COVID -19 episode you must be in a state of mental alertness and physical wellness. And, to achieve this, avoid mental idleness, read books, listen to inspiring messages and exercise your body to prevent obesity and other health issues.

• SEEK KNOWLEDGE AND EQUIP YOURSELF

One of the likely fallouts of this global economic crisis is downsizing of the workforce by most businesses and where this occur, only valuable, indispensable and the knowledge-driven workers would be retained. To fit into the post-COVID-19 workforce you must equip yourself, read and seek better ways of delivering your task, put yourself above your colleagues in terms of skill set and knowledge.

It is time to pick up those books and works of literature that have been on your mind.  You may want to get certified or take online courses.

For your world-class professional certification courses in management, human resource management, customer relationship management and so on, you may want to check www.darachassociate.com

LOOK AROUND AND FIND PROBLEM THAT YOU CAN SOLVE

This period of lockdown is not a time for idleness, it is the time to sit up and solve problems especially those that have to do with your work and organization at large. It should be a time for personal work appraisal and performance evaluation. The questions should be asked:

1. What are my area career or performance deficiencies?
2. What level of improvement is required?
3. What can I do differently?
4. How can I improve?
5. What can I do now to improve my work performance?

A forward-looking worker who is determined to retain his job would constantly look for innovative ways of solving problems.

• PUT YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER

Having done a work process appraisal, you should then come up with an execution plan upon your return to work. You may share your work plan with your supervisor even before you return to work. It creates the feeling of your bond with the organization and placed you as an employee that should be taken seriously. Having said this be sensitive and relate with your superiors with knowledge during this period.

• WORK REMOTELY.

Imagine a bank employee that got in new accounts for her bank during this period or an accountant that worked from home and submit a management account to the chief executive officer or a salesman that struck business and closed a deal for his company during the lockdown. 

An employee can achieve much during this period, attend to the uncompleted task and relate this to their immediate supervisors or bosses via the internet or have a conversation on the phone. Ensure that you keep the momentum and continue to seek the interest of your organization even while at home.

• PRIORITIZE YOUR SPENDING AND SEEK FOR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

Lastly, at a time like this when avenue for extra income may be limited, maintain a level of frugality and prioritize your spending. Who knows you may stay a little bit longer at home until the Coronavirus pandemic is completely eliminated.

You may want to read: JOB SECURITY DURING A PERIOD OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY: COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

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The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. As at today the 8^th of April, 2020 the virus had spread to 209 countries and territories with a total recorded cases of 1,498,013 and 87,731 deaths globally. Today, in Nigeria we have 254 confirmed cases with most parts of the country on lock-down and economic activities halted.

The focal point of this article shall be the economic impacts of COVID-19 on employment relationship as it affects job security and income guarantee. In this article, an attempt will be made to look at the provision of the Nigerian Labour laws, global best practices and the measures open to both the organizations as well as the workers.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has projected a 25 million job loss globally depending on the time-frame and for how long the COVID-19 would last. African Nations could be the worst hit due to her lack of preparedness to tackle the pandemic outbreak and the huge population of workers in the informal sector. It has been estimated that Nigeria could loss between $14 billion and $19 billion in oil export revenue in 2020 (The Economic Commission for Africa). The Nigerian stock market has continued on a downward trend with investors losing N399 billion. The Nigerian Airline industry is projected to lose 3.5 million passengers that is about $760 million and a total of 91,380 aviation jobs (IATA).

It is no gain-saying the fact that Nigeria is in a precarious and delicate balance owing largely to its mono-economy status and dependent mostly on oil revenue which has now plummeted in the International market. As we speak the price of oil has fallen to an all-time low of $ 24.21 (WTI) now forcing the Nation to cut her budget benchmark from $ 57 to $ 30 per barrel and slashes capital budget by 20%.

The resultant effects of this would cascade into poor and redundant economic outlook and negative consequences on the well-being of the workers and the citizens at large.

The questions would then be, how would this bleak economic situation affect job security and the income of workers? Does the law in Nigeria provides for income guarantee and job security?

WHAT IS JOB SECURITY?

Job Security is the assurance or probability that an employee will retain his or her job and continue in gainful employment as provided by the employment contract. These assurances are guaranteed by different factors which include companies’ ability to pay, productivity, the contract of employment, collective bargaining agreement, legislation and general economic-condition in a geographical space or country.

Job security would range from very secured, secured, moderately secured and unsecured employment. It will be noted that in Nigeria, the public sector and government institutions and agencies would appear to provide “very secured employment”. Also, organizations with strong union presence provide some moderate security for jobs while businesses with challenges, those that could not continue in production or those that have lost customer-goodwill will be classified as unsecured.

It is important to state here that COVID-19 presents novel challenges for our economy and it will grossly affect both the formal and informal sectors. It should be noted, also, that China is our major economic block supplying over 25% of the country’s import in 2019 in the sum of N 4.3 trillion. Today, China is being affected by COVID-19 in fact COVID -19 originated in Wuhan, China.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projected a $ 220 billion in income loss in developing countries. As we speak the United States of America’s unemployment rate has risen to 4.4% meaning that 701,000 jobs have been a loss. If we juxtapose this with Nigeria that has a 23.1% unemployment rate in 2019 with an estimated 87million people living on less than $ 2 per day then the answer should not be far-fetched. To make matters worst it has been projected that an additional 25 million people are likely to join the unemployment market post-COVID-19.

From the foregoing, it will not be immoderate to say that during a period of national emergency and economic turmoil there is “nothing” in absolute terms like job security except the Nation takes a very decisive and proactive measure to curb the fallout and its impact on productivity and the economy as a whole.

Also read: NIGERIAN LABOUR LAW AND WORKERS’INCOME GUARANTEE DURING AN EMERGENCY: COVID-19

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The human resource department has an enormous task of putting in place policy guidelines concerning the organization’s anti- HIV and AIDS compliance measures. HR must also ensure that occupational health issues are properly highlighted. HR should work in conjunction with retainers’ healthcare providers to ensure compliance especially when it comes to disclosure and other related matters that have to do with the company’s employee.

A professional HR practitioner understands the role of a good working relationship with the employee and their place in organizational health. It will be noted that a professional HR practitioner would create an atmosphere of reconciliation, dispute resolution, and education in the organization and these have solved problems that could have resulted in protracted litigation.

My advice to HR practitioners is to be professional, seeks knowledge and handles every matter not only from the point of law but also with diplomacy, tact, and empathy.

CONCLUSION

It has been estimated that about 1.9 Million Nigerians are living with HIV and people within the age bracket of 15-49 are about 1.5% of this figure means that the Nation’s active population is affected. In the year 2018, it was gathered that we had 53,000 deaths related to AIDS.

However, it would be realized that with access to anti-retroviral drugs, better awareness, and treatment the rate of infection dropped between 2015 and 2017 which gives the impression that the Anti-Discrimination Act plays a positive role in curbing the incident of new infection and AIDS-related death.

It should be of note that HIV  is classified as incurable today just like we have had other diseases in time past which were tagged incurable but were later declassified and completely eliminated. It is in the same spirit that efforts and research works are ongoing to find a permanent cure to HIV, while this is being done people living with the virus must be accommodated, not discriminated against and be treated as human.

It has been proven that countries like Argentina and Demark that have significantly reduced AIDS-related death due to universal free access to treatment and antiretroviral drugs. According to a World Bank study Argentine allocates 80% of total HIV and AIDS spending to care and treatment.

A recent report indicates that Denmark could become the first HIV-free country in the world. It is hoped that one day Nigeria will become HIV-Free.

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UNDERSTANDING THE EMPLOYMENT RIGHT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS IN NIGERIA

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Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution prescribes some inalienable fundamental rights for citizens. Some of the rights that have implications on employment include the right to personal liberty, the right to private and family life and the right to freedom from discrimination.

However, with specific reference to discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS, it is a special enactment gazetted and signed into law on the 28th of November, 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, titled “HIV AND AIDS (ANTI-DISCRIMINATION) ACT, 2014.  Part 1, subsection “f” listed one of the objectives of the Act as giving effect to the fundamental human rights of citizens as listed in Chapter  4 of the Constitution.

Part 3 (1) of the HIV AND AIDS (ANTI-DISCRIMINATION) ACT states specifically that “People living with or affected by HIV or AIDS have a right to freedom from discrimination on the basis of their real or perceived HIV status concerning access to and continued employment, employment benefits, comprehensive health services, education, use of public facilities and other social services, provided by the employer, individual, community, government or any other establishment.”

Section 9 (1) of the Act prohibits and makes it an offense to use an HIV test as a pre-condition for employment.

The Act further stated in Section 14 sub-section 5, that real or perceived HIV status shall not be a cause for termination of employment.

From the above citations, it would be seen that Nigerian Law provides protection for people living with HIV and AIDS, in fact, it is an offense to discriminate against them in employment matters, entitlement to benefits and such knowledge real or perceived should not be a basis for the termination of their employment.

WHAT SHOULD AN ORGANIZATION DO WHEN AN EMPLOYEE IS DISCOVERED TO BE HIV POSITIVE?

It is important to state from the start that as an employer or HR practitioner it is not in your place to tag or ask an employee for his or her HIV status it is against the law and punishable with dire consequences. Section 8 (1) made this clear.

However, where an employee chooses to voluntarily disclose his or her HIV status such knowledge or information shall not be disclosed to a third party except with the written consent of the person making the disclosure or when such information is at the instance of the law court.  

Section 4 (1) gives the employer a duty of care at ensuring that he or she protects an employee living with HIV or AIDS from and against any form of discrimination.

In the case of the earlier questions asked by the reader, we should settle the matter by now that discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS is against international and local laws that attract huge fine as well as prison sentences or both.

In the duty of care, section 15 specifically states that “every employer has a duty, as far as it is practicable, to provide a safe workplace and this shall include ensuring that the risk of occupational exposure to HIV is minimized” at the workplace. And, this will include protection of the person living with HIV, protection of fellow employees from contracting HIV and the protection of customers that come in contact with the organization.

Click to continue to WHAT IS THE ROLE OF HR WITH RESPECT TO HIV AND EMPLOYMENT?

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One of the followers of this blog page had asked that I address the right of people living with HIV/AIDS in the workplace. His specific question was that “If an employee is diagnosed to be HIV positive, should his or her employment be determined on the basis of risk to other employees, the psychological effects of such discovery on the employee himself and the effect of such knowledge to the customers?” On probing further, he said his company operates in the hospitality and catering sub-sector and the staff in question works in the kitchen as a Kitchen Assistant. Her duties involve supporting the chefs with menu preparation and sometimes with the cooking. According to him, the employee in most cases works with knives, graters and cooking utensils.

The fear expressed by this reader is understandable especially if we consider the sensitive nature of the job handled by the employee in question. However, without being sentimental I want us to examine the position of law, employment processes and some basic regulations that are needed in the workplace to protect the organization, its employees and the customers at large.

It is important to state here that International laws, conventions, and Acts of parliaments prohibit discrimination against people living with HIV in the workplace. This simply implies that an organization will be acting contrary to law if they denied employment to an applicant on the ground that such a person is HIV positive or sacked an employee on the notion that he or she is HIV positive.

You would realize my deliberate use of the word HIV as against AIDS in the presiding paragraph; this is intentional because of the sensitive nature of this topic and also an attempt not to send a wrong signal to readers and HR practitioners in particular.

The question here is, could an employee be sacked based on the report or proven case of HIV, the answer is no. Could the same be said of a case of an employee with AIDS? We may have to probe further by making a distinction between HIV and AIDS.

HIV AND AIDS, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES OR SIMILARITIES?

WHAT IS HIV?

By simple definition, HIV means “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” HIV is a virus that attacks and has the capacity to damage the human immune system. The immune system helps the body fight off infection; however, untreated HIV could lead to a breakdown in the ability of the body to defend itself against opportunistic infections.

It should be noted that HIV does not kills, however, because of its ability to attack and reduce the capacity of vital body cells such as the “helper T Cells” macrophages and dendritic cells it could degrade the victim’s immune system and progress to AIDS that ultimately create rooms for opportunistic infections that kill if not properly treated and managed.

WHAT IS AIDS?

AIDS or TYPE-3-HIV means Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. And, according to Wikipedia, “AIDS is a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive.” AIDS is seen as an advanced stage of HIV. It should also be noted that not all HIV cases are likely to develop or result in AIDS. However, medical research has shown that an HIV positive person with a CD4 count below 200 per cubic millimeter will be diagnosed with AIDS.

The risk factor to the victim is huge at this stage because of the absence of a cure for AIDS and with damages to the human immune system, opportunistic infections as common as pneumonia, malaria or other common diseases could kill the victim.

Click to continue to WHAT LEVEL OF RISK IS ASSOCIATED WITH A VICTIM OF HIV OR AIDS?

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Workplace distraction, workplace interference or attention diversion has been defined as the inability of the worker to remain focused on what is work priority. In fact, it is seen as the “blocking or diminishing” of the reception of important information that should aid work performances.

Having looked at the effects of workplace distractions on the organization and the individual worker, we should now focus on the causes of workplace distraction.

CAREERBUILDER 2016 SURVEY ON CAUSES OF WORKPLACE DISTRACTION

A survey conducted by CareerBuilder on 2000 US hiring and HR Managers in 2016 identified the following causes of workplace distractions:

1. Smart phones – 55%
2. Internet – 41%
3. Gossip – 35%
4. Social media- 37%
5. Co-workers dropping by – 27%

Udemy Findings on the Causes of workplace Distraction 2018

In a similar survey by Udemy in 2018, the following were identified as causes of workplace distractions:

1. Talkative Co-workers – 80%
2. Office Noise – 70%
3. Smart Phone – 69%
4. Meetings – 60%
5. Social Media – 59%

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CAUSES OF WORKPLACE DISTRACTION

The major causes of workplace distraction can be INTERNAL or EXTERNAL in nature. The internal reasons will include interference from and within the organization itself, obstruction from employee’s workspaces and such issues that can encumber effective work performances in and around the organization.

On the other hand, the external reasons bother on issues that are external to the employee immediate environment such as an unscheduled visit by the employee’s acquaintances, the inability of the worker to manage private-personal issues that could cause uneasiness, attention diversion, and stress including family interference with work (FIW).

It will interest you to know that in its 2018 Workplace Distraction Report, Udemy in Depth reveals that a third of millennial and GenZ who responded to its questionnaire say they spend two hours or more checking and interacting with their smartphones during the work hours.This implies that 10 hours of valuable working hours are lost per week to unrelated workplace activity.

It was further discovered that 59% of workplace distraction was caused by social media and when broken down Facebook was seen as the major culprit as shown below.

1. Facebook                 65%
2. Instagram                  9%
3. Snap chat                   7%
4. Twitter                        7%

In the Journal of Vocational Behaviour, Volume 81, Issue 2, October 2012, Pages 227 – 235, it was revealed that family interference with employee work is positively related to an increased in workplace cognitive failure, a condition defined as errors made at work that “ indicate lapses in memory” and failure to recall work procedures.

Having pointed out the key factors that cause’s workplace distraction, it is therefore necessary to look at the solutions and some manageable measures that can be taken to reduce the negative effects of workplace distraction on the workers and the organization as a whole.

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HOW TO MANAGE WORKPLACE DISTRACTION / ATTENTION DIVERSION

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It is no longer news that President Muhammad Buhari signed into law on January 23, 2019 the “Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018” which forbids all forms of discrimination (Access to company’s facilities, transportation and employment etc) against persons living with disabilities and imposes a fine of N 100,000 or a term of six months imprisonment on individuals and a whopping sum of N 1,000,000 on corporate bodies that violates any section of the new law.

The key objective of the Act is to ensure the full integration of persons with disabilities into society and guarantees their education, healthcare, economic wellbeing, and civic right and social inclusiveness. This follows on the heels of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of (Disabled) No.159 of 1983 signed by Nigeria on July 14, 2010 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol on May 28, 2007 and October 27, 2008 respectively.

WHO IS A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES?

The Act defines a person with disabilities to means

1. A person who has received preliminary certificate of disability to have condition which is expected to continue permanently or for a considerable length of time which can reasonably be expected to limit the person’s hearing, thinking, ambulating, descending, lifting, grasping, rising, and includes any related functions or any limitation due to weakness or significantly decreased endurance so that he cannot perform his everyday routine, living and working without significantly increased hardship and vulnerability to everyday obstacles and hazards.
2. A person with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

KEY PROVISIONS OF THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PROHIBITION) ACT, 2018

Part 1 (1), (2) and (3) Prohibits discriminatory or differential treatments against persons with disabilities by any “person or institution in any manner or circumstances whatsoever.” It further provides for penalty for violation and grants the right to any disabled person whose right had been violated to institute a civil action against any “such person committing the offence or causing the injury, without prejudice to any conviction or acquittal.”

Part 111. This section of the Act states that a person with disabilities shall have the right to access the physical environment and buildings on an equal basis with others. It provides that a public building shall be constructed with all necessary accessibility aids and all necessary facilities that shall make it accessible for persons with disabilities.

Instructive to note here is the definition of a public building which the law sees as “a building owned or used by government or government agency or a building available for the use of members of the public.” By implication, this will include private business buildings that serve members of the public including private residential buildings made available for residential purposes. The Act expatiates further when it sees accommodation in the context of housing to mean “residential or business accommodation.”

TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOR COMPLIANCE

The Act provides for public buildings and structures to be modified within a five year period to accommodate the requirements that meet the demand for accessibility to persons with a disability without a penalty. It also provides that public building should henceforth get an approval such as building plan that satisfies the building code and accessibility to persons with disabilities condition.

BARRIER TO ACCESSIBILITY AND PENALTY FOR DEFAULT

Section 8 subsection 1 of the Act states as follows “ Subject to section 7, in the event of evidence of state of inaccessibility or barrier to access of a person with disability to the environment that he or she has a right or duty to access, he may, without prejudice to his or her right to seek redress in court, notify the relevant authority in charge of the environment of the existence of the state of inaccessibility or barrier to accessibility of the environment, and it shall be the duty of the relevant authority in charge to take immediate and necessary steps to remove the barrier and make the environment accessible to the person with disability.”

Note that Section 8, subsection 2 (a) and (b) imposes damages of N 10,000 on corporate bodies and N 5,000 on individuals for failure to comply once such notice of barrier existence is brought to the relevant authority notice for each day that such barrier exists.

Part IV – Road Transportation (Goods, services and Facilities). This section makes it an unlawful act for a provider of goods and services or related services to discriminate against persons with disabilities. Subsection 10 (2) (4) made it clearer with reference to such services as staff bus, designated parking lots for PLWD and safety measures when it states inter alia that “ Every public vehicle should have a functional audible and visual display of their destination within 5 years from the commencement of this Act.”

Part vii – This section provides for the right to first consideration in Queues and during emergencies for person with disabilities.

EMPLOYMENT: EQUAL RIGHT TO WORK FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Section 27 (1) Provides for the right to equal opportunity in employment related matters and made it unlawful to discriminate against with living with disabilities. Subsection 2, of Section 27 imposes minimum nominal damages of N 250,000 on any person upon conviction that discriminate against PLWD in employment based on their disability payable to the affected person with disability. And, where the violator is a company, the Act states thus “ the company shall be liable to nominal damages of a minimum of N 500,000 payable to the affected person with disability; and

1. Any principal officer of the company involved in the violation shall be liable to N 50,000 damages payable to the affected person with disability.

It should be noted also, that section 28, states that “All employers of labour in public organization shall as much as possible have person with disabilities constituting at least 5 % of their employment.”

ACCOMMODATION. This can be extended to staff accommodation, here it is expected that when such facility is provided for by organization to their employees, the Act states that persons with disabilities “shall be given first consideration.”

CONCLUSION.

It is instructive to note that individuals and corporate organizations especially HR professionals should pay due diligence to the requirements of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 so as to avoid the pitfalls that could plunge their organizations into litigations and attendance losses thereof. With over 19 million people living with disabilities in Nigeria the need for such legislation is of paramount importance, therefore, its implementation must be supported by all.

With the window of 5 years provided by the Act for organizations and individuals to put in place required facilities that are needed for implementation, we advise therefore that issues such as accessibility facilities, accommodation, public transportation where it is provided by individual or organizations, recruitment and employment documentation should be addressed and designed to meet with these requirements of the Act.

Though it appears that the Act gives wide latitude and advantage to people with disabilities when it provides in Part XIV under Miscellaneous Provisions in Section 56 (1) that “To be entitled to the damages especially provided in this Act, It shall be sufficient for a plaintiff claimant as the case may be, in a court proceeding to prove the violation of the relevant section of this Act without specific proof of damages”

It went further to states in subsection 2 that “Nothing in this Act shall prevent a court from accessing and awarding general and specific damages in addition to the normal damages provided for in this Act.”

To ensure compliance, it becomes necessary that individuals and corporate organization should, therefore, reappraise their internal processes, facilities, and procedure to ensure total compliance with the Act. It’s sufficed to say that full compliance requires a joint action which will take into account structural design (building and facilities), transportation management and Human resources management processes, documentation and procedures.

This writer (askkayodemicah@gmail.com) will be willing to render consultative service to any organization that requires such services to achieve full implementation and meet the requirements of the new law. We also prove training for the company’s personnel and individuals.

Thank you

The post DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PROHIBITION) ACT, 2018: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESSES AND HR PRACTICES IN NIGERIA appeared first on Kayode Ibukunoluwa-Micah's Blog.

Workers rights to receive and be paid a national minimum wage have legal backing; it is a prescription of national laws. The instrument that established minimum wage made it clear that it is an offence for employers who fail to pay the minimum wage to employees except if the employer or employee fails within the exemption list as contained in section 2 subsection 1 a, b, c, d and e respectively.

It is important to note however that until the new bill is signed into law by the President it remains unenforceable. Once it is signed by the President it becomes a law, organizations are therefore bound to comply with the law.

A look at the amended bill by the House of Representative would further give credence to this, under Employer’s obligations in respect of minimum wage, it states

“… if the employer fails to (pay the minimum wage) do so, he is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N 75,000 and in the case of continuing office to a fine not exceeding N 10,000 for each day during which the offence continues”.

CAN INDIVIDUAL’S CONTRACT WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A MINIMUM WAGE?

Once the minimum wage bill is signed into law it automatically nullifies every other agreement or individual’s contract that pegged an employee’s wage below the minimum wage. Any contractual arrangement or agreement will become void and a nullity.

To justify the point made here, let’s look at the definition of Minimum wage given by the International Labour Organization: General Survey Concerning the minimum wage fixing convention 1970 (No. 131, and the Minimum wage fixing Recommendation 1970 (No. 135) which defines minimum wage as:

“… The minimum amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay wage earners for the work performed during a given period, which cannot be reduced by collective agreement or an individual contract.”

CAN AN EMPLOYER PAY ABOVE THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE?

Yes, an employer can pay entry level staff an amount higher than the national minimum wage. The doctrine of ability to pay should play out here. Also, value or worth of employee’s productivity could be a factor to consider.

In the words of Dr Chris Ngigi, Minister of Labour (2019), “The minimum wage figure does not preclude from being paid higher by the employer, depending on the employer’s financial capability”.

Unlike the Ordinance of Labourers (1349) and the Statute of Labourers (1351) which set a wage ceiling, selfishly decreed by King Edward 111, modern minimum wage laws give the employers the latitude to pay above the minimum wage but not below.

CONCLUSION

This article has pointed attention to workers right to earn a minimum wage, it pays attention to the requirements of the 2019 National Minimum Wage Act (Amended), it critically examines the qualifications and exemptions granted by the law.

It is hoped that it will be view as a guide and as an avenue for enlightenment.

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The fight against economic slavery, income inequality and the need to lift a good percentage of workers out of the poverty line had been in the forefront of the organized labour struggle and leading organizations such as the League of Nation which last organized the International Convention against slavery in 1926 and later supported by the convening of the Global Minimum Wage Convention championed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1928 and other subsequent conventions. While it was practically impossible to have a Global Minimum Wage, countries of the world through legal instruments, collective bargaining, Treaties, and Conventions have adopted and embraced the idea of a national minimum wage.

Going by conventions and practices, we noticed that the national wage system is divided into two which have become very popular. The first is the PROGRESSIVE MINIMUM WAGE and the second is THE LIVING WAGE SYSTEM calculated based on the median income in countries and was first presented in 1919.

However, the Progressive minimum wage seems to enjoy currency in most countries of the world and Nigeria in particular. The progressive minimum wage allows for the government using a TRIPARTITE arrangement to arrive at a SINGLE Minimum wage for an agreed time frame (National Minimum Wage (Bill) Act 2019) recognizes five (5) years review duration.

WHAT IS A MINIMUM WAGE?

A national minimum wage is the mandatory and statutory minimum entry-level wage paid by employers of labour in a country (both public and private sector employers), exclusive of all deductions except when such deductions are required by law, agreed by the workers and approved by the regulatory bodies in charge of labour and employment matters, in the case of Nigeria the Minister of Labour and Productivity.

It is instructive to note that there cannot be more than one figure or a single national minimum wage, hence the proposal by the National Council of State of Nigeria (January 2019) for N 27,000 and the statement by the Minister of Labour Dr. Chris Ngigi, which states, that “ However, the Federal Government, based on the principle of ability to pay, augmented their own N 27,000 without putting workers through a protracted negotiation to N 30, 000 which means that the lowest paid worker in the Federal Public Service GL, Step 1 would earn N 30,000 minimum wage” is an abnormality and an estrangement to the principle of a national minimum wage.

Whilst the concept of the ability to pay is a key criterion in wage determination, the standard practice is to have a harmonized wage position in the course of its determination and once there is an agreement, signed into law by the President, employers of labour who falls within the recommended criteria are obligated to pay.

WHO IS ENTITLED TO A MINIMUM WAGE?

Section 2 (1) of the National Minimum Wage Act granted some exemptions which clearly identifies those categories of employees who cannot get or qualified for a minimum wage. The sections states as follows:

• The provisions of subsection 1 of section 1 shall not apply to:

1. An establishment in which less than 25 workers are employed
2. An establishment in which workers are employed on a part-time basis
3. An establishment at which workers are paid on commission or on a piece rate basis
4. Workers in seasonal employment such as agriculture
5. Any person employed in a vessel or aircraft to which the laws regulating merchant shipping or civil aviation apply.

From the above, it means that if you are in paid employment and does not fail into any of the classifications above you are entitled to a minimum wage whether you are employed by the government or a private organization.

Click the link to continue to YOUR RIGHT TO DEMAND FOR A MINIMUM WAGE

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In Aprofim Engineering Nigeria Limited v Bigouret & Anor (2015) and in the case of Andreas. I. Koumolis v Leventis Motors Limited (1973 SC 250/1971 the arguments had been made that restrictive covenants constitute an affront to section 17 (3) (a) and (e) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) hence, any agreement that is considered as an excessive restraint or unreasonable in nature will not be entertained by the court.
It is therefore important that HR practitioners take note of the following when including a non-compete clause in a contract of employment or when drafting separate restrictive covenants.

1. Such agreement must not be overly broad otherwise it will be difficult to enforce. It must be specific and well defined. It must detail what is to be protected for which the company seeks employees restraint.

2. It should be time-bound. The period of restriction must be reasonable. Some jurisprudence will recommend between six months and one year and anytime beyond this will be view as unreasonable.

3. It must be location specific. Enforceability of restrictive covenant should be within a geographical space within which competition by an ex-employee or employment by a competitor can be said to be injurious to the trade interest of an employer. If it not, then such a restriction will remain unenforceable. The case Mesop Kholopiaan v. Metal Furniture Nigeria Limited, High Court of Lagos, Ikeja Judicial Division delivered on March 5, 1974, is instructive. The company had a non-compete clause which covered a radius of 800 miles from Ikeja and sought for a restraint which was eventually thrown out by the trial judge as unreasonable.

4. It must be industry specific. The intention of a well-drafted restrictive covenant or a non-compete clause is to ensure that information acquired by the staff which is not general knowledge but specific to the organization are not shared with a competitor or used directly by the employee in competition against the employers interest. Therefore, it suffices that when couching such a restrictive agreement that it is industry specific. For example, if a company operating in the hospitality industry, it will be unreasonable to ask for a restraint preventing the staff from taking up an appointment in the banking sector.

5. A non-compete agreement must give due consideration to the interest of the employee during the period of the restrictive agreement. It will amount to an act of wickedness if an ex-employee is asked not to take up employment when he or she is out of employment. In some instances, half the employees salary is paid during the whole length of such restraint.

6. It must be based on a valid contract of employment and legitimate business relationship. You cannot enforce an agreement that is not based on a legitimate business practice or an employment relationship that is outside the ambit of the law. See Illinois Official Report (Supreme Court), in a case involving Reliable Fire Equipment Company v. Arnold Arredondo, 2011 IL 111871. The judgment in, this case, held that Reliable does not have a legitimate business to justify a noncompetition Restrictive Covenant.

7. Lastly, such agreement must not be injurious to the public good. In case, where such acquired information will benefit the general public or nation restraining such an individual from practicing his or her trade elsewhere will likely be considered as unenforceable.

It is important to note that employment relationship or contract is a matter of law subject to legal interpretation; hence, a non-competition restrictive agreement must conform to the provision of the constitution and satisfy the laws or labour Acts to be enforceable.

Continue to: GARDEN LEAVE AND EMPLOYEES BENEFITS IN NONCOMPETITION RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS

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ONBOARDING: STRATEGIC EMPLOYEES INDUCTION AND INTEGRATION

PLANNING

Receiving a new employee should be seen as a well thought out and planned process that involves relevant department and personnel. Usually, it starts with the human resource department sending out an appropriate notification to receiving department detailing the date and time of assumption of office by the new staff. Such notices will also include instruction for the receiving and welcoming of the new hire. This may not be the process in a small organization but the most important point to note is that how you receive visitors will determine the impression that they have of you and your organization.

DESIGNATION OF A FRIENDLY RECEIVER

The standard practice is to have someone received and welcome the new staff to the organization; this should be trained personnel such as a receptionist, front desk staff, HR Assistant or the head of the department of which the staff is posted. This contact person in most cases becomes a friend and someone that the newly hired could call unto for assistance.

SPACE ALLOCATION

Space here will depend on the nature of the job and not necessarily a desk and a table or a room; however, even in a workshop, people feel comfortable when they are given a workspace or area. Provision of space should be prearranged and the new personnel should not be to feel that the organization is not organized.

DOCUMENTATION

It is expected that HR would have perfected all the necessary employment documentation, importantly here are organizations guideline, employee handbook, safety regulation and code, Job details and description and all matters relating to the organizations history, structure, and the reporting system. It is most recommended that this should be provided on the first day at work either in print, written or as a presentation.

STAGES INDUCTION AND INTRODUCTION

This stage will include an introduction to the organization; in which a brief history, achievement and future plans of the organization are explained and the work process and necessary reporting hierarchies within the organization highlighted. The first point of call is the staff immediate supervisor and head of the department. Thereafter, he or she may be introduced to other sectional heads or a designated staff in a department with which the staff would have interaction i.e. internal customer and external customer concept.

ONBOARDING METHODS AND STRATEGIES

It has been generally accepted that the size, structure, capacity, and expectations from the new employee will to a large extent determines the type and system of onboarding in an organization. However, the known methods include:
• Structured Induction
Most organizations have gone to the extent of developing an instructional manual that highlights important details about the organization to be taught to a new staff in a structured manner. For example, the new personnel may be taught by HR for a few hours, days and sometimes weeks. The structured induction method ensures that relevant fact and details about the job are properly communicated to the new employee.
• Unstructured Induction
The unstructured induction places emphases on the current reality of the organizations by giving rooms for the instructor, mentors and designated personnel to be flexible in what they discuss with the inductee.
• Formal
This is an organizationally approved socialization method in which specific guidelines are given on how the induction processes should be conducted and anchored. It is documented and properly streamlined to capture all relevant details including performance standard.
• Informal Induction
There are certain organizational behavioral patterns that are not taught but picked and learned by the employee in the course of interaction with the organization. Sometimes, you realized that staff goes for launch, not at a specific time but intermittently based on workload and permission; however, in some organization staff leaves for a break at a particular time.

Continue to: CURRENT APPROACHES TO EMPLOYEES ONBOARDING
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PRE-INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Success in any endeavor requires adequate preparation and the self-assurance that you will accomplish your goals as you set out. To succeed with a job interview require adequate preparation which involves preparation at the following levels:
Mental Preparation involves the ability to visualize success ahead of the interview. A mentally, prepared job hunter will be fired up, energized and build that level of confidence that helps him or her deal with anxiety.
The Mental Preparation Strategy. Mental preparation is a self-motivated action that can be achieved through practice and in focusing on the positives. To achieve this, here are some well-known strategies:
1. Breathing in and out. Breathing in and out helps you relax and gain control of your thoughts and at the same times deals with anxiety in such a way that you will remain alert and stay focused.

2. Tranquil words. This is a process in which you repeat to yourself in a quiet manner words or statement that build your confidence level such as I am going to get this job no matter the odds, this interview is going to turn out well I am the best for the job, Greater is he that is to me, therefore, I will take control of the proceeding in Jesus name, The Lord is my strength. These statements are powerful and will help you build mental strength.

3. Get adequate sleep a day before. Sleep helps you relaxed and prepared for the next day. It is expected that you would start your preparation immediately that you received an invite for an interview and not necessarily on the day of the interview. Never work too long into the night a day before an interview, often time it leads to fatigue. For the record, no interviewer is impressed when you look tired and stressed it is a sign that you lacked self-management skill.

JOB AND ORGANIZATIONS RESEARCH

Interviewers are usually impressed when an applicant approached the interview with some level of knowledge about their organization; it gives the impression that the applicant is interested in the organization and would require a short time to fit into the job role and culture of the organization.
Knowing about the job details, expectations and deliverables will help you organize your thoughts and responses to questions during the interview. Check online for job descriptions relative to the vacant position and look out for those qualities that you possess that are the best fit for the job.

SOURCES OF COMPANYS INFORMATION

The Companys website. Most organizations have websites where information about the company could be gotten, you can look out for the about us page and services or the offering page. This would give you the idea of the history, ownership, and performances of the company overtimes and the industry that it belongs to.
Companys newsletters, Social Media platforms, Google information. All these can be gotten online. Information sought online might not be 100% accurate but it will give you an idea of the company well ahead of time.

End of years report or audited statement. For senior or executive positions, the companys annual report will provide key information and knowledge of the organization covering performance level for the year, areas requiring improvements and intervention. With this, you can tailor your value propositions along key issues needing your expertise or skills and knowledge.
Sitting before an interviewer or a panel of interviewers for that matter can be a nightmare for most job-seekers. Experiences have shown, however, that over 85 percent of job-applicants are somewhat apprehensive of being interviewed not because of doubt in their own ability, but because they would be talking to a complete stranger (s) that they dont have prior knowledge about and most likely because they dont have an idea of what they are likely going to be asked.

However, it must be noted that interview is the best avenue and closest opportunity for you to showcase your ability, prove your claims as contained in your Curriculum Vitae or resume (See Difference between CV and Resume), show to the selection team while you are the best when compared with other applicants for the same position and highlights the value and creative ideas that you will bring to the job.
Hence, an interview should not be afraid of, it should be looked at as my best chance to get the job. It should be handled with seriousness, adequate preparation, good knowledge of interview skills and positive mindset. No apprehension, no negativity, yet with some sense of competitiveness.
This article will focus primarily on helping job applicants master interview skills and be better prepared in taking the opportunity when its avails itself. Hence, we shall pay attention to the following:
• Preparing for a job interview
• How to approach a job interview
• un-nerving yourself before an interview panel
• creating a lasting and positive first impression that makes you likable by the interviewers
• Answering difficult questions
• Closing an interview session with an unforgettable statement

PRE-INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Success in any endeavor requires adequate preparation and the self-assurance that you will accomplish your goals as you set out. To succeed with a job interview require adequate preparation which involves preparation at the following levels:
Mental Preparation involves the ability to visualize success ahead of the interview. A mentally, prepared job hunter will be fired up, energized and build that level of confidence that helps him or her deal with anxiety.
The Mental Preparation Strategy. Mental preparation is a self-motivated action that can be achieved through practice and in focusing on the positives. To achieve this, here are some well-known strategies:
1. Breathing in and out. Breathing in and out helps you relax and gain control of your thoughts and at the same times deals with anxiety in such a way that you will remain alert and stay focused.

2. Tranquil words. This is a process in which you repeat to yourself in a quiet manner words or statement that build your confidence level such as I am going to get this job no matter the odds, this interview is going to turn out well I am the best for the job, Greater is he that is to me, therefore, I will take control of the proceeding in Jesus name, The Lord is my strength. These statements are powerful and will help you build mental strength.

3. Get adequate sleep a day before. Sleep helps you relaxed and prepared for the next day. It is expected that you would start your preparation immediately that you received an invite for an interview and not necessarily on the day of the interview. Never work too long into the night a day before an interview, often time it leads to fatigue. For the record, no interviewer is impressed when you look tired and stressed it is a sign that you lacked self-management skill.

JOB AND ORGANIZATIONS RESEARCH

Interviewers are usually impressed when an applicant approached the interview with some level of knowledge about their organization; it gives the impression that the applicant is interested in the organization and would require a short time to fit into the job role and culture of the organization.
Knowing about the job details, expectations and deliverables will help you organize your thoughts and responses to questions during the interview. Check online for job descriptions relative to the vacant position and look out for those qualities that you possess that are the best fit for the job.

SOURCES OF COMPANYS INFORMATION

The Companys website. Most organizations have websites where information about the company could be gotten, you can look out for the about us page and services or the offering page. This would give you the idea of the history, ownership, and performances of the company overtimes and the industry that it belongs to.
Companys newsletters, Social Media platforms, Google information. All these can be gotten online. Information sought online might not be 100% accurate but it will give you an idea of the company well ahead of time.
End of years report or audited statement. For senior or executive positions, the companys annual report will provide key information and knowledge of the organization covering performance level for the year, areas requiring improvements and intervention. With this, you can tailor your value propositions along key issues needing your expertise or skills and knowledge.

Continue to: PRE-INTERVIEW PREPARATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND CHECKLIST

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Cover letters are the first chance you have to impress an employer they’re not just a protective jacket for your CV The Guardian, February 11, 2014.
A cover letter is an integral part of the application process and it is seen as the best opportunity to set an applicant apart from the crowd and convince the hiring manager that you are the best for the job.

WHAT IS A COVER LETTER?

A cover letter is an introductory attachment to the CV, specifically addressed to the hiring manager, a recruiter, an advertiser or a named person who is in a position to receive your application. Traditionally a cover letter comes as the front cover of the CV high lighting why you believe that you are qualified for the job.

TYPES OF COVER LETTERS

• Standard Speculative Cover Letter. This is largely an inquiry based cover letter aimed at soliciting for employment in an organization without reference to an advert or known vacant position in the organization.
• Standard and Conservative Cover Letter. This format is advert related, job and position directed. It follows the traditional pattern of self-introduction and highlighting your core strength and values that you will bring to the job if employed. This letter is best for the traditional-styled job such as law, accounting, business, engineering etc.
• Adaptive / Creative Cover Letter. This letter is highly flexible and allows for adaptiveness. It is common to the profession that has to do with individuals with creative minds and ability. For example, creative writers, artists, copywriter etc.

INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD COVER LETTER

• Make it official and should be formatted as an official letter
• It must be brief and concise no long story. It should be a maximum of an A4 paper and less
• Highlights key achievements in quantitative and qualitative terms ( Use figures and percentages to describe your achievements)
• It should be error free, check spelling and grammar
• It should be properly closed ( Your sincerely, yours faithfully, with best regards etc)

WHAT A GOOD COVER LETTER SHOULD CONTAIN.

• Applicant Details as contained in official letters
• Hiring managers name or position( Name is preferred if it is known)
• How or where you found the vacancy
• Why you considered yourself most suitable for the job
• The values or what you will do for the company
• Closing statement

CONTINUE TO: BEST WAY TO SEARCH FOR JOBS AND JOB OPENINGS

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NOTE:
A CV should be properly proofread and studied, you should have a thorough and good knowledge of your CV and what they contained. Never, list any skills that you have not acquired as done by many people who just picked and edit a template without paying attention to the issues highlighted.

*READ NEXT: HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER TO A CV

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WHAT IS OVERTIME WORK?

Simply define, overtime is the amount of time a worker worked in excess of the standard working hour as defined by law, practice or customs or collective agreement. Overtime work is mostly regulated by the contract of employment and standard employment practices.
Section 13, subsection (2) of the Nigerian Labour Acts 1990, defines overtime as Hours which a worker is required to work in excess of the normal hours fixed under subsection (1) of this section shall constitute overtime.

JUSTIFICATION FOR OVERTIME WORK AND PAYMENT

It is important to states right from the onset that overtime work is not compulsory but it is permitted by law and most organizations. The peculiarity of company’s operations may sometimes demand that employees put in some extra hours at ensuring that their works are completed and daily deliverables met.
Many reasons have been advanced to justified overtime work and they will include the following:

• THE NEED TO MEET WORK DEMAND AND SCHEDULE
It is my opinion that work should be properly scheduled so as to avoid work overload and its attendant consequences, however, it has been noticed that more pressure is put on the workers to meet their daily work demand on time. Often times, because of inadequate time and other exigencies for example cut in power supply (Nigeria) and equipment failure the needs for overtime might arise.

• NEED TO AVOID IN-OFFICE DISTRACTION AND WORK-DISRUPTION
Office distraction and work disruption might be due to operational reasons such as scheduled and unscheduled meeting, traffic gridlock during official work hours, email overload, customer complaints, and external customers demands and so on. When this happens and there is a need to submit an important report then the justification for an overtime work would become appropriate.

• OUTPACING SYNDROME
It has equally be observed that there are some individuals who are hyper-hard-working who had the preference for working beyond normal work hours in order to achieve greater productivity and better result. However, care must be taken not to rank individual whose aim is to deliberately make money and paint the picture of a hardworking worker. The latter individuals will prefer to lazy around during official hours just to be left with incomplete work for which they demand overtime payment.

• EXCESSIVE CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
It is a universal practice not to walk out on customer; in fact, it is recommended that until the last customer leaves the shop floor you don’t take a walk. A worker whose role is to attend to a walk-in customer or those seeking for one solution or the others will always stay back in as much as they have the customer in view and ensure that their queries are resolved and properly attended to.

• THE NEED FOR CONTINUITY OF WORKFLOW
There are instances when an employee failed to report for a shift duty and it becomes necessary for another staff to continue in the absence of the absentee staff.

Continue to: THE IMPACT OF AN UNREGULATED OVERTIME WORK
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It is the desire of every employer to have employees, who are fully engaged, productively active, organizationally socialized and who are ready to hit the ground running. An effective onboarding process makes it easier for a new hire to integrate into an organizations culture, learn the ropes, be aware of the norms that are prevalent including the power structure and politics in the organization.
Researchers have shown that organizations differ one from another, essentially because, an organization is manned, managed and run by human beings. Human beings are known to have their different personalities, ideological leanings, orientations, and perspectives. Even for well-experienced professionals that changed jobs, it has been well researched that if not properly re-orientated, indoctrinated, acculturated either by self or by deliberate action of the organization they tend to be like fishes out of water in a new environment. For more insight read HUMAN RESOURCE AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Onboarding is both in the best interest of the organization as well as that of the new hire, properly done, formally or informally, it is a win-win for all. To the new hire, he or she feels welcomed, sees the organization as a platform to showcase his or her knowledge, skills, and ability (KSA), where he could rely on and work with others to achieve organizations objectives. At the same time, a fully and effectively integrated staff is seen as a proof that the employment tools and placement system are appropriate.

WHAT IS ONBOARDING?

Different terms such as organization socialization, induction, introduction to the organization are used to describe onboarding. Simply defines, onboarding is both the structured and unstructured means by which a new employee is received, welcome and provided with the necessary information about the organization, his job functions and the ways of life within an organization so as to enable the newcomer settle into his or her new job position more easily and become fully integrated.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A WELL STRUCTURED ONBOARDING SYSTEM?

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It has been observed that newly employed personnel often play with a lot of thoughts in their minds before assuming a new job role such questions will range from:
• Will I be well received by the older staff of the company?
• How and what will the company be like?
• What kind of a person is my direct supervisor or boss?
• Will I be able to do the job as expected?
• How quickly will I be able to fully integrate myself into the mainstream of the companys activities?
• How well will I be accommodated and given enough time to deliver on the new task given to me?

KEY BENEFITS

• Essentially the key benefit of onboarding processes is to smooth the ground for the new employee and ensure that a positive impression is created by the organization in such a way that eases tension in the newcomer.
• Additionally, it has been noted too, that a proper onboarding system helps lessen early exit or the likelihood of the employee leaving the company. It has been documented that a new employee would form an impression about the organization in the first four weeks of joining and this impression if not properly managed would affect the perception of the employee for a long time to come. This point is supported by a research by the office of State Personnel that posited thus Employees will decide within 10 days if they intend to stay with the organization or begin looking for a different job
• A good onboarding system helps the organization save associated costs that are related to staff turnover, wastage and protracted replacement of staff in the organization.
• Strategic onboarding system encourages engagement and full commitment to the organization.
• Lastly, an effective onboarding process helps the employee to feel at ease and display a favorable attitude towards the organization.
WHAT ARE THE PROCESSES IN ONBOARDING FOR NEW HIRES?
It has been erroneously construed that onboarding processes begin at the point that a new employee assumed duty or first reported for work, please read REASONS WHY PEOPLE CHANGE JOBS. It must be noted here that in most cases before an applicant submits an application letter seeking for employment in an organization he or she has already formed an impression about that organization, in this case, it is a one-sided opinion. The way he or she was communicated to thereafter, invited for an interview or a written test, how he was handled throughout the recruitment processes will to large extent create an impression in the employee when he or she is finally given an offer.
My position as an employer of labor a recruitment consultant and a recruiter is for organizations and their representatives to live out their corporate values at all times because this will determine to a reasonable extent the companys public image and perception.

Continue to:
STRATEGIC ONBOARDING PROCESSES: EMPLOYEES INDUCTION AND INTEGRATION
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