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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It is also expected that organizations will have no choice but to embrace scientific innovation as a basis for shaping the future of their businesses. Governments and agencies will be pressured to adopting tech in the search for sustainability, increase in revenue sources, global competitiveness, and infrastructural development.

Good to note that the #ENDSAR protests in Nigeria have created a new vista for youth involvement in politics and this will also impact the look of work and how the economy will run in the next decade. With their great sense of creativity and reliance on tech, I hereby welcome you to the new world of work and what will count as a future career.

 WHAT ARE THE DETERMINANTS FOR FUTURE WORK?

 What are the factors that will determine future works or jobs that will be in high demand? What should we look out for globally to know that certain skills would be in high demand and what should we do as career-minded people to position ourselves for this great future and remain relevant.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

One of the key determinants of the direction of employment activities in an economy is the knowledge of the result of research and development by government, institution, and business enterprises or private persons. In career planning, besides the individual propensity, we also pay attention to the need of businesses and the direction in which society is headed.

It has been noted that leading economies are deploying investment in the direction of science and technology and digitalization. China, Israel, the USA, South Africa, and some developing Nations are spending so much on ICT, agriculture, and medicine. This knowledge should give an insight into the direction of the jobs that would count for the future.

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT DIRECTION

It will be noted that in Nigeria, the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and the present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari has paid much attention to agriculture and infrastructural development especially in areas of food production, support for the agriculture sector, and a modernized railway system in the country. Hindsight will show that opportunity will abound in these two directions with the Central bank of Nigeria pushing commercial banks to invest in these sectors of the economy. With the level of investment seen so far, it shows that experts in modern agricultural practices and engineers will be in high demand.

Early acquisition of knowledge in modern farming practices, agribusiness, and automotive engineering will be advantageous for someone pursuing a career in these fields.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI)

According to the World Investment Report by UNCTAD, in 2018 foreign direct investment flow into Nigeria was $ 6.4 billion which dropped to $ 3.3 billion in 2019. The total stock of FDI in 2019 was estimated at $ 98.6 billion. The USA, China, UK, and the Netherlands took the lead in FDI flow to the country. The question should be asked in what sectors are these investments made because the answer to this question will tell us where manpower will be much needed. For example, we could see investment in internet security, housing and construction, and healthcare. We now see Nigerians abroad setting up standard healthcare facilities in Nigeria and investing so much into properties for personal and commercial purposes.

CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Age, demography, income level, style, and taste are known to influence consumer behavior and the pattern of their purchases decision. In recent times, however, the internet and the digital revolution have been critical factors that affect consumer behavior. For example, the Y Generation (Millennial) is mostly concern with speed, creativity, and convenience of service. To capture this large population investors and businesses will necessarily tailor their investment pattern in such a manner that caters to them. The creative, fashion, and entertainment (music and sport) industry will require individuals with millennial mindsets and creativity to thrive.

GLOBAL INVESTMENT AND PARTNERS CONCERNS

The search for alternative energy sources away from fossil fuel, the need to protect national investment, and concern for global peace are known factors that determine the direction of future employment. For example, the ability to speak and translate mandarin or Putonghua the official language of the Chinese will provide a good job for an individual with an interest in cross-national-trade between Nigeria and China. Likewise are jobs with NGOs and foreign missions with interest in healthcare, protection for the environment, and security.

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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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Hiring the best team for your product is the easiest way to make that product a success. This is the reason many start-ups and existing businesses struggle to create the right environment to attract the best talent and to retain them too,

Most times, we make the mistake of thinking that money is key to keeping your employees or in hiring the best team. Let me tell you the truth; it is not. Whatever you are paying, someone can always pay more.

Having said that, it will be foolish all the same to assume that you can just pay anything and it will all be alright. The money has to be good.

Even if the money keeps them, will it get the best of them? That is the question we intend we intend to answer today.

You see, the truth of the matter is that start-ups are merged and surrounded by uncertainties. No matter how prepared you think you are, things will try to sway your resolve. It will succeed if your team doesn’t hold their ground. This is why hiring the best team for a product is pertinent.

Below, we have listed some employment guidelines. They are not 100 percent effective but they can surely guarantee success to a certain degree.

Tips On Hiring The Best Team For Your Product

1. Prioritize operational experience

You are expected to understand and prioritize operational experience when hiring the best team for your product. You need all the members of the team to identify and effectively scope projects. This comes from expertise and expertise from experience.

They have to be able to answer some questions or you will be in a real mess. What are the pain points in each space? What makes an influencer an influencer? What kinds of things are possible to build, and what factors will allow you to do it all faster and more cheaply?

The importance of the above is to solve the sophisticated problem of customers. Your team needs to be able to listen and figure out how your product can help each of your users.

2. Recruit by trust

In hiring the best people for your product, the place of trust cannot be overemphasized. You can top talents and even retain them earning their trust. You can achieve this trust by living, breathing and dying for your vision and if you prioritize transparency.

3. Build a case for why your startup is right for your candidate right now

When hiring the best team for your product, you have to carefully and tactically build a case in support of your start-up. This case has to lucidly state why your start-up is better suited for the candidates you want to hire.

This particular point is so important especially if you are going after someone who is already gainfully employed.

It’s important, then, to craft an opportunity that speaks directly to the candidate’s strengths and passions while providing outlets for growth in areas where he or she has yet to be tested.

Crafting this opportunity requires previous experience working with the person, so you can highlight how to leverage his or her past successes. In this way, you can craft a targeted plan to address areas in which the candidate has been disappointed professionally in the past.

4. Embrace complementary DNA

It is important to note that when hiring the best team for a product, you should embrace the complementary DNA.

It will be wrong if everybody is involved in marketing or in production. Every member of the team must have a role that is complementary to the other members of the team. This is what you have to look out for.

To be successful, employ people who share, understand and can execute on the complementary vision successfully.

5. Detox

When hiring the best team to execute a project, look out for the poisonous and infectious guys. It is not really that simple. It is not written on their foreheads so it could be hard to tell.

What you should do however is to remove the people with disruptive tendencies and potentials even before the project starts. It is important you remember that.

Ultimately, a product is nothing without a good team to power it forward. Recruit by trust and stand by your vision, no matter the complexity of your product, the market conditions or the fierceness of the competition. With a strong team, no obstacle is too great.

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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.

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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.

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Different tasks and job functions demand a varying degree of concentration and attention, to achieve organizational goals and individuals’ performance objectives, employees must be properly focused and avoid unnecessary distraction that could take their focus off the pie. Distraction, as we know, is a thief of time and a negative consequence of workers’ inability to have the mastery of self and their workspaces.

Researches on employee performances have attributed task-performance-errors; “failure to recall work procedure, lapses in memory, dislike for the job, inability in meeting deadlines, negative emotion resulting from stress and the feelings of incompetence to workplace distraction. In fact, according to a survey by Udemy, 3 out of 4 workers admitted that they felt distracted when on the job. In the survey for Business in 2018, Udemy found that about 58% respondents said they were affected by distraction at the workplace while 20% of participants said their career advancement and inability to attain their full potentials could be attributed to workplace distraction.

The seriousness attached to workplace interference will be better appreciated when monetized and viewed from the perspective of attendance consequences for the organization and the psychological loss of worth to the serious employee who feels that his or her inability to deliver on time and properly meet deadlines was due to factors outside his or her control.

Just imagine a pilot who got distracted while flying a plane, or a surgeon in the middle of a surgical operation who was unintentionally disrupted and his procedure interrupted with.  

WHAT IS WORKPLACE DISTRACTION?

For the purpose of this article, workplace distraction will be defined as “The suspension of one stream of work prior to completion, with the intent of returning to and completing the original stream of work” Boehm-Davis, Deborah A. Remington and Roger (2009).

THE EFFECTS OF WORKPLACE DISTRACTION

Time according to a popular maxim is money hence any time wasted on the job should be considered a loss of valuable organization’s resources and the result that could have been attained if such time was put to judicious uses.

Unnecessary interference in work processes could breed negative consequences especially as these distractions are seen as a disruption in the workers’ ability to remain focused on the job and be committed to assigned tasks. The following are some of the likely effects of workplace distractions.

Failure to deliver on assigned task

Organizational processes are customer oriented, customers’ needs are time-bound hence the work process should be structured to meet these needs in a timely manner. To achieve this, work is divided into various tasks and performed by an individual, or a group of workers, when a team member is distracted this will ultimately affect the team’s ability to deliver on an assigned task. Performance delay due to distraction could lead to loss of the customer, goodwill and organizational reputation.

Marking the time syndrome

Teamwork is a key factor to achieving organizational success, however, if not properly monitored you could have a team member who pretends to be working but was only engaged in office loitering without any meaningful contribution to teamwork. Such individuals are distracters that should be managed otherwise they will hinder others and slow down the work process.

Performance Error

Performance is seen as the level of involvement by the worker that produces an output adjudged as good or poor. Individuals’ Performances are subject to many factors such as the level of skills, past experiences, rate of engagement and dedication. When the required skill set is available it is expected that work outputs should turn out well. However, workplace interference can be an encumbrance to achieving a great result. Performance error and error in output would alter the final product.

Waste of Organization’s Resources

When resources are re-assigned to correcting performance errors or when such products or services are rejected by the end-users; the financial or resource implication could be massive and sometimes causes the organizational a colossal lost.

Workplace distraction could breed attention diversion and when this happen organizations’ resources which ought to be used profitably will end up being to wasteful use.

Transferred Aggression

Anger, frustration, and disappointment could arise as a result of the inability of a worker to live up to expectation and meet set target, consequently this could result unto poor score during performance appraisal or warning and sometimes outright sack which can get so much of the worker to the extent of transferring such anger to colleagues and the organization as a whole.

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CAUSES OF WORKPLACE DISTRACTION

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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

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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.

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Work and life are complementary in nature, work creates values and values are paid for, the reward for one’s labour create financial stability, sense of independence and enables you to live a good life. Having said this, the relationship between work and life should not be at the expense of personal wellbeing, hence, the line between work life and personal life. Besides this, however, is life after-work which is a condition of retirement, redundancy, compulsory or voluntary exit from work? It should be noted here, that, life after-work is dependent on how well work life and personal life are spent.

What to do, to maintain a work and Life balance will include the following

• HAVE A PERSONAL SENSE OF WORTH AND WORK VALUE

Success on the job is determined by many of factors, however, the greatest of such is the sense of worth that the individual places on himself and the understanding that he or she is contributing positively to the organization and society at large. Such intrinsic motivation will bring about better performances and brings joy to the worker. It has the potential of reducing stress and act as an impetus for superior work performances. Regularly evaluate your work and place a value on it in terms of its overall contribution to the organization.

• SET DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY AND YEARLY TARGET FOR YOURSELF

Performance appraisal is built around the worker’s day to day task and the presumption that performances need to be measured and evaluated. A Standard appraisal system is benchmarked on a proper job description, set target and KPI.  In order for a worker to meet this key performance standard, he or she needs proper planning and personal assessment of the work schedule and performances delivered on a regular basis. Without setting a target and evaluating performance level you may not see a deviation, and shortfall performance. When tasks are planned for the pressure associated with incomplete works is reduced, and more rooms are available to attend to personal life.

• PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR HEALTH

Health is wealth so the saying goes, but beyond this health is life. To stay alive we must pay attention to our spiritual, physical, emotional health. A regular medical checkup at least once a year is necessary. Health challenges quickly identified can be better attended to before it degenerates to a more complex health issue.

• CREATE TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

There will always be life after work hence paying attention while in employment to family, loved ones and friends is a requirement for enjoying a better relationship with them after work life. Never get too busy to forget your family, it is unwise.

• TAKE A LEAVE/VACATION IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT

I have written extensively on annual leave and the position of the law, to a reasonable extent choking oneself with workload without taking some time off is dangerous both to you and the organization. The human body system as pointed out in an earlier article requires adequate rest and rejuvenation.

• SAY NO WHEN THE JOB DEMAND IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTING YOUR WELLBEING

Juggling multiple task and functions might be okay at a certain age; however, understanding the working of your body system is something you must not toy with. Sometimes the body says no, but when you put it under undue pressure the system might break down as seen in incidences of fatigue and burn out.

• EAT WELL, EXERCISE REGULARLY AND TAKE ADEQUATE REST

Healthy food, regular exercises and adequate rest keep the human body system at an optimum level of performance. Dieticians advised that breakfast should be observed and taken as the most important meal for human, coupled with exercise such as walking, moving the body parts and good rest will keep you going well.

• MAKE A PLAN FOR LIFE AFTER WORK

Exiting work life is a reality that a worker will face, be it compulsory or involuntary exit, at a point, there will be a separation from employment. Ironically experience has shown that the fear of exiting employment create panic in some workers and some who left with inadequate planning are sometimes faced with financial challenges. It is the opinion of this writer that every organization should put in place a post-employment advisory department to help plan their employee’s exit and after work life. As an employee, you must also plan ahead by simply deciding on what you will retire into or possibly if you lose your job today what are the backup plans. It is normal to make such a projection.

Conclusion

Human development as seen today is the result of the creative and innovative mind of man and the refinement of the work process and procedures. To sustain the progress made as well as improve on it we need to constantly reinvent the work process, make it more accommodating for a human especially in considering the worker’s health and wellbeing. To achieve this man must remain healthy, the workplace must be made more conducive and the atmosphere for productivity should be improved upon. Work life, personal life, and life after work must be of critical consideration in the planning for tomorrow’s workplace and improved organizational performance.

Merry Christmas and wishing all my readers a prosperous 2019. God bless you.

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Medical researches show that the human body is a combination of interrelated and interdependent systems, the body works like a machine to give purpose to life. It has been proven also that the human body even in a state of semi-unconsciousness works 24/7 though at a different degree. However, the body needs rest, rejuvenation, re-oiling and adequate care. Like other machines, it is important to note that the human body can break down if not properly taken care of.

The human anatomy is made up of cells, tissues, and organs which form the human body systems. These systems are the respiratory, digestive, circulatory, skeletal, immune, excretory, muscular, nervous, and endocrine system. The working of the human system must be properly cared for as failure or breakdown in the system could impair the overall working of the human body, subsequently, this would affect the organization’s performances even in a highly automated work environment that requires human supervision.

In HR it is a recognized practice that after a period of work engagement the worker should take a rest either in term of break in-between an 8 hours work or an off duty-day after a continuous work process of 8 days. This is further expanded to include an annual leave vacation after the worker has been in employment for a period of one year. The reason, for this, is to give the body rest, allow the human system a proper reinvigoration and recovery.

Stress, boredom, tiredness, weakness, high blood pressure are known issues that are associated with work, these problems when they go beyond a manageable stage they could become hazardous and sometimes detrimental to the wellbeing of the worker. These factors can impair performances and worker productivity. It could result in loss of man-hour, an increase in workers’ turnover, the high cost of medical related expense, negative impacts on physical/emotional health and sometimes loss of life.

It is the opinion of this writer that in as much as work is an integral part of life, life can, however, become meaningful only in a healthy state, while pursuing the cause of the organization attention must equally be paid to personal wellbeing.

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HOW TO MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE

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Organizational wellbeing is the totality of the organization’s health and the wellness of its workforce in relation to their individual well-being, performances, and psychosocial environment. Without a safe and healthy workforce, we cannot have a progressive and prospering organization. Therefore, maintaining equilibrium between work and life is a necessary condition for a productive workforce and a progressive organization.

Work and life are inherently interwoven, the human ability to engage in work that generates values enables man to live a life that is satisfactory and good. With the same token, organizational productivity is hinged on the ability of man to continuously engage in productive work. This meaning to the notion, that a healthy workforce is a healthy organization.

According to the Organizational Health Diagnostic and Development Corporation, Organizational health is defined as “ an organizational ability to function effectively, to cope adequately, to change appropriately, and to grow from within” The definition above laid credence to that fact that a healthy organization behaves the same way a living being does.

However, because of the risk factors that are associated with work and life, the organization must through deliberate policies help its workforce to maintain a balance between work and life otherwise life itself will become “short and brutish”, the workers’ health jeopardized and organizational wellbeing put in peril.

Interestingly too, it has been proven that in Nigeria and in most developing countries an average worker spent about two third of their active wake time at work, coupled with the rudimentary transportation system and other stress induces challenges workers’ health are most impacted and organizational wellbeing thrown off the balance.

THE INCURSION OF WORK LIFE INTO PERSONAL LIFE

Increasingly, the line between work life and personal life is becoming thinner and difficult to separate, assignments and uncompleted task are sometimes taken home and the organizations at the same time makes effort to accommodate some elements of the family at work – flextime, child-friendly work environment, provision for maternity/paternity leave and family paid vacation. Flexible work pattern allows the worker to work from home, relates task via the company’s dedicated internet platforms and processes.

As good as modern work innovations might sound there is the need to draw a line between work life and personal life, however, since we may find it difficult to entirely separate the two, one is required to be sensitive enough to know when such intrusion is becoming an unnecessary invasion.

DRAWING THE LINE BETWEEN WORK LIFE AND PERSONAL LIFE.

Work life is the amount of time that a worker spends in an employer’s undertaking or at work while personal life is the amount of time that a person spends outside a paid employment and the time which he or she dedicates to attending to personal issues such as family, spirituality, friends, community services, loved ones, and other personal interests. The distinction is that work life is paid for by your employer (s) when calculated in terms of productivity. On the other hand, personal life is self-evaluated and appraised by its owner but not paid for by a third party.

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THE DANGER OF NOT SEPARATING WORK LIFE FROM PERSONAL LIFE

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A human being is configured to work, eke out a living and live in relative term a good life. Man as a member of society could not meet all that he or she needs hence the reliance on the exchange system in which labour is exchanged for pay to facilitate commerce and economic relationship.

Today’s industrial economic system had eliminated trade by barter and has introduced the mercantile economy which focuses essentially on the production system and has made progress by seeing labour as the sole engine that drives its success.

Capitalism, “welfarism” and the pseudo-socialist system all depend on continuous employment of their citizens to oil the wheels of economic progress. In as much as some job would require agility, youthfulness and high level of energy to perform it is the desire of every government to put a larger percentage of her citizens in meaningful employment.

We know that national economic performances are measured on the basis of per capita GDP, which is the gross domestic product divided by the total population of a country. A national with lesser employment ratio would turn out poor per capita GDP.

Other disadvantages of age discrimination in employment are:

• Stifling of nation’s economic development
• A higher rate of inequality in employment
• Global migration from poorer nations to the developed world
• Unfair work practices such as low pay, exploitation of the workers etc
• A higher level of political instability. The saying goes that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop
• A high rate of poverty and diseases
• Health risk and high maternal mortality
• Lack of competitiveness and reliance on imported goods

It is the opinion of this writer that Nigeria as a nation should promote best practices in its employment laws and lessen age discrimination in employment. As the benefit of having an expanded employment opportunity, far out weight the current practice in the country.

Change as we know comes gradually and through a change in perception and change in the ways, which things are done presently, the change that is required in employment practice and law would have to be championed and initiated by HR practitioners. Let’s follow global best practices to make the Nigerian workplace a more inclusive place for national economic development.

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AGE: EMPLOYMENT, DISCRIMINATION, AND THE NIGERIAN LABOUR ACT

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It should be noted that since there are no express provisions in the Labour Act on age discrimination in employment, it also implies that challenging employers’ preference for a particular age other that underage labour will remain a nullity and unjusticiable.

However, the law can be tested but the employers are at liberty to decide on the age requirement for employment into their organization.

SHOULD A RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENT CONTAIN AGE LIMITATIONS?

Within the Nigerian context, there is no specific law restricting recruitment ads from having age requirement on it. And, until such a regulation is made to conforms the Nigerian employment practices to global standard age as a factor in employment is not an illegality.

For example, The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 (ADEA) in the United States of American forbids employment discrimination against anyone or applicant of at least 40 years of age.

In the same vein, the Equality Act 2010 is a UK law that was designed to protect an employee from age discrimination at work.

A look through the details of these laws completely forbids discrimination on the basis of age and act of discrimination by the employing organization; it imposes a serious penalty for violation and gives the applicants the right to challenge any perceived act of discrimination against them.

I have deliberately cited these countries so as to point out the importance of abiding with standard practices and importing same into our system in Nigeria. It should also be seen that because of globalization and foreign direct investment coming into the countries we are expected to comply fully.

To this end, even when there are no expressed provisions in the Labour Act, age can be included in a job advertisement especially for record purposes but it should not be used as a basis for disqualifying an applicant that has been interviewed.

Moving away from the organization, if age is a factor in the recruitment processes, as a job applicant can I make an adjustment to my age in order to gain the recruiter’s invitation?

Definitely, this will amount to falsification and lying to gain personal advantage. It is against the law and it will negatively affect you as you are, thereafter, seen as lacking in integrity.

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Unfortunately, there is no concise and well-articulated provision in the Nigerian Labour Act that seek to criminalized age discrimination as it is in countries such as the United States, Great Britain or in the European Union.

However, section 42 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2011) as amended provides for general protection against discrimination in areas of disabilities, restriction due to one’s place of origin, gender, religion, political interests or opinions.

Section 42 (1)(b) further buttressed this when it states that no citizen of Nigeria shall be accorded any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria that are of other communities, ethnic groups or due to their place of origin, sex, religion or political opinions.

The section of the Nigerian Constitution that provides for some level of protection against age discrimination in Section 17 (3) of Chapter 11 of the Constitution (Fundamental Objectives and Directives Principles of State Policy) which states that the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring the following:

1. Opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood
2. Just and humane work condition
3. Health, safety, and welfare of all persons in employment
4. Equal pay for equal work without discrimination on any ground and,
5. Prohibition of child and aged labour.

As good as these provisions might sound, Section 6 (6) made it clear that they are limited or non-justiciable; therefore any action brought to enforce them will be void and considered legally unenforceable.

In constructive term, age is a factor in employment as far as the Nigerian Labour Act and laws are concerned. Basically, the law is quiet on this hence the justification by employers who deliberately pegged entry age and discriminated against older applicants for job placement.

It should be noted, however, that the Nigerian Labour Act has strict regulation governing underage employment a provision taken from the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 ( No . 138) of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

In addition, it would also be seen that there are provisions for the retirement age for public servants and those in academics. For example, those in public service have a mandatory 35 years of service or a compulsory retirement at the age of 65 years whichever come first. For academic staff in the university, the mandatory retirement ages range between 65 and 70 years.

The final justification for this can be find in Part 111 (7) (1) of the Pension Reform Act, 2014 which states thus “ A holder of a retirement savings account shall, upon retirement or attaining the age of 50 years whichever is later, utilize the amount credited to his retirement savings account …”

From the foregoing, it could be inferred that the Nigerian Labour Act and Laws has an unvoiced approval for age discrimination in employment matters. This leaves employers of labour at liberty to decide on age requirements for openings in their organizations. By implication too, they are at liberty to use age as a criterion for employment selection.

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WHAT ARE THE REMEDIES FOR AGE AND EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION IN NIGERIA?

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Could the age of an applicant in a recruitment exercise serve as a basis for disqualification or employment? What is the position of the Nigerian Labour Act and employment Laws on age discrimination? If you are discriminated against on the basis of your age for employment or promotion are there legal remedies for you? Should a recruitment advertisement contain the requirements for age? Should the employment application form ask for applicant’s age? If age is a criterion, what are the implications of adjusting one’s age for the purpose of gaining placement advantage?

This write-up is focused on age discrimination in employment for employable adults that falls within the minimum age requirement for employment and not on child employment as set by the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 ( Number 138) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) against child labour.

Taking off, it is important to note that laws against age discrimination in employment are largely and essentially meant to protect discrimination against and avail older people the opportunity to equal employment rights. Ageing is a natural phenomenon and this does not mean that people of a certain age bracket should be seen as unproductive or lacking in the capacity to continue in employment.

It is important to note that section 42 of the Constitution of Nigeria provides for the rights to freedom from all forms of discrimination and it a universal fact that freedom of association is a fundamental human right. Thus this should draw the attention of HR practitioners to this very sensitive issue of AGE, EMPLOYMENT AND DISCRIMINATION.

WHAT IS AGE DISCRIMINATION?

Age discrimination for employment purposes is any distinction or exclusion or preference made on the basis of one’s age “which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity and treatment in employment or occupation.”

When such biases affect the possibilities of hiring, promotion, retention, outright disengagement from employment or mandatory retirement then it is said to be discriminatory and a breach of the fundamental human right of the person to equal opportunity and right to employment and work.

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The ability of the organization to constantly expand its market through improved production and quick response to customers’ demands require that its workforce has the capacity to be innovative, creative and constantly evolving. A plateaud workforce could not be said to be evolving since it may appear that they may have gotten to the peak of their career.

Except where the organization takes deliberate action to enlarge jobs and at the same time devised job enrichment strategies otherwise the plateaued employees are more of a liability than being an asset.

Career plateau will become noticeable on productivity in the following areas:

• the continued commitment of organization scare resource to take care of employees whose productivity capability could no longer be expanded to meet the demand for production/service delivery/

• Increase in the severance package. The question has been while keeping a redundant employee or remains in an employment that does not provide with an opportunity for growth? Note that ultimately it will add to the numbers of years spent on the job and ultimately on the severance package.

• Loss of motivation and moral can result in low productivity. It is a universal fact that the expectation for promotion, role expansion, and salaries increment contributes to improvement in performance by an employee and the motivation to commit more effort and time to the needs of the organization.

• Except for jobs that are repetitive in nature and does not require creativity or any extraneous motivation; keeping an employee who is used to the position and who do not aspire to higher responsibility may be in the best interest of the business only in the short term as monotony will likely to set in after some time.

• One issue that affects employees whose career had plateaued is what we call the error of central tendency; this is the tendency of employees to cluster around the middle in the organization hierarchy without moving forward or backward thereby hindering others from attaining higher cadre in the hierarchy. This situation sometimes creates room for contamination syndrome in which other employees minds are poisoned against the organization as a place that does not reward performance or promote its personnel.

Continued to EFFECTS OF CAREER PLATEAU ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE

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Some of the prescribed self-managed solutions are:

SET A CAREER PATH RIGHT FROM DAY ONE

Progress and advancement on the job is a deliberate and intentional decision backed by action. It is like embarking on a journey with a destination in mind and for those who set their journey compass right they arrived at their desired destination knowing the route to following in spite of traffic or vehicular hiccups. Career plateau could be one of such hiccups and I think it should be part of the challenges that you should plan for in your career journey. Such plans should consider what you would do to advance your knowledge in term of education, skills enhancement, and seeking professional qualification. You should have plans to learn new skills on a regular basis. The rule is to plan ahead before the opportunity for advancement presents itself.

GET A REGULAR UPDATE

Be honest to seek feedback on the quality of your work performance with the sole objective of working out an improvement plan. Feedback will enable you to determine areas that require improvement or additional skills that will prepare you for future opportunity in or outside the organization. Career plateau just doesn’t happen often time it is because attention was not paid to what matters the most in the course of one’s employment journey.

BE ADAPTIVE AND INNOVATIVE

The world of work is changing quite rapidly, technology and customer’s demand are pacing much more than what needs organization need in term of resources and manpower to catch up with the changes. Today’s workforce must be adaptive, creative and innovative in order to meet these changes. One error with the employee is the assumption that what took them to a particular level in the organization hierarchy should be able to sustain them forgetting that could overtake such qualities. Be committed to learning and be adaptive in your work orientation.

SET CAREER GOALS

Career paths planning talks about the routes, direction and how to climb the corporate ladder while career goal, on the other hand, places emphasis on the setting of time-bound, realistic and achievable goal to help you attain career success in the short, medium and long-term. In the course of your career, you should set specific time to achieve some specific goals be it educational, professional or some other personal related goals. For example, it is not out of place to determine the numbers of years that you will spend in an organization.

UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE

Career-related issues are not like fantasy football or soccer, being realistic in your evaluation of why you have stalled career-wise should be job-specific, attitude and performance-based. If you are good in your own reckoning but lacked the right attitude for leadership or the next level you will not be promoted into such position. It is important to note that leadership or high responsibility is a combination of skills, knowledge, ability and having the right attitude to work and people.

Check and make the necessary correction before aiming for the top.

KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT IS BETTER TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT MOVING UP

Taking more responsibilities that you enjoy doing in some cases brings that inner motivation for the job, yet you may not have gotten promoted but the recognition that you are adding value and being appreciated could the solution that you need to come out of the negative effects of career plateau.

KNOW WHEN IT TIME TO QUIT

Having said all and looking at the recommendation made thus far, for every employment relationship there must be a time to say goodbye. The parting of the employment relationship could be at the instance of the employer or the employee. When your job no longer gives joy an exit might be the honorable thing to do.

CONCLUSION

In the words of Sharon Hulce, President/CEO of Employment Resource Group, “An employee’s career is much like a great, passionate love affair, in the beginning, it is new, fresh and exhilarating, over time, the initial energy that is created by its “newness” turns into, a comfortable norm in the daily lives of the worker.”

Career plateau is an occurrence that has come to stay with us in the corporate cycle, there is no dispute that it will occur the question is when? It can be overcome by diligent planning both by the organization as well as the individuals’ employees. The effects of career plateau on the organization performance, productivity and efficiency can be managed both for the employees as well as the organization in general.

It has equally been pointed out that since the effects of career plateau will tell more on the moral, motivation and performance of the employee, the employee is therefore required to be proactive in the planning of their career paths and in setting goals to curb such negative effects.

This article has attempted to answer important questions that are related to career plateau; it is my belief that it would be a great resource for HR, organizations managers as well as the workforce in general.

Thank you

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