“The unemployment rate will increase to 37 percent and the poverty headcount will amplify to 45 percent due to weak performance in the job-related sectors, low labour absorption of the service sectors that will drive growth, and population growth estimated at 3.2 percent will lead to a decline in real per capita income.” NESG 2023 Macroeconomic Outlook, Nigeria in Transition: Recipes for Shared Prosperity”

Should organizations be concerned about the grim economic outlook made by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group for the year 2023? What does this portend for the labour market and employment in general? What are the risk factors? And, what should human resource management and labour relations experts take as priorities in order to manage the fallout of a low real gross domestic product (GDP) that is projected to moderate at 2.98 percent in 2023?

 What consideration should HR professionals give to the first quarter of the year 2023 going by the fact that elections will hold during this period in Nigeria? It is expected that disruption that would likely be associated with the February 2023 election will affect some businesses and slow down policymaking primarily as they affect the economy.

According to Fitch in its national forecast for 2023, it predicted that the economy will be weaker at an average of 1.1 percent, just the same as in 2015 and during the 2019 general election. Holiday extension especially if there is a run-off. Election-related violence, litigations, and protest are possible factors that may affect HR processes in 2023.

In his submission, Bismarck Rewane emphasized that “global economic recession will trigger layoffs, fall in income, and a decline in consumption, investment demand and spending.”  Careful consideration of Rewane’s prediction point to the dire implication of recession on employment in general and investment in the real sectors in particular. Investment is needed for economic activities to thrive and a decline in economic activities will strain disposable income and the likelihood of layoffs in 2023.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL RISKS FACTORS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN 2023?

 At the heart of HR is human capital- the skills, competence, time, and labour committed to the realization of the organization’s corporate objectives. Human resources will continue to remain the most important asset of the organization. Where its availability, sourcing, and “peace of mind” is threatened, the business objective is also threatened.

This year inflation is expected to average 20.5 percent and this could be attributed to the high cost of food, the impact of the 2022 flooding, high production cost due to the high cost of credit / low access to credit facilities by businesses, insecurity, and election-related panic are compounded factors that will likely threaten labour peace of minds in 2023.

The critical risk factors are:

• Shortage of skilled manpower ( White and Blue Collar)

The Nigerian Labour market over time has presented a disequilibrium curve where labour demand in terms of hours worked and the number available for hire has been in low supply. This has suddenly been worsened due to the unattractiveness of pay for some categories of employees and the skill shortage that is needed to meet the available jobs in the market.

The greatest fear for employers of labour is the “unemployability” of some new entrants into the labour market and the high cost of investment in them.

While some are willing to train, the fear of sudden and unplanned resignation is another challenge that must be grappled with.

• The exodus of human resources from the critical sector such as IT, manufacturing /Production, healthcare, Finance et cetera, et cetera.

Skilled labour flight and brain drain from the country is a critical risk that employers of labour must make adequate provision for in 2023 so as to guide against sudden disruption in their operations. I know of an organization where eight people “left” a critical department for Canada and the UK just within a span of two weeks. I intentionally put the word left in an inverted coma to stress the fact that they exited the organization without giving any notice of resignation.

While the employment relationships recognize free entry and free exit we must, however, take seriously the high incidence of human capital flight which is likely to increase in the year 2023.

• Corporate mortality

A citation from a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers gives credence to why we should be concerned about the risk of business failure and corporate mortality in Nigeria in 2023.

It read “SMEs account for 48 percent of the national Gross Domestic Product, 96 percent of businesses, and 84 percent of employment in the country” The report went further to state that “Since 2017, at least 1.9 million SMEs have been lost.”

Would this trend stop in 2023 my research findings do not support any positive change in direction? The high cost of doing business, high-interest rate, high rate of labour turnover, unstable and multiple exchange rates, and so on, are potential risk factors that could lead to higher business mortality in 2023. 

• Non-performing staff loans.

We have seen employees resign without notice, we have seen those who traveled out of the country without any trace and we have equally been faced with employees who simply move houses without informing their employer. Advancing loan facilities to employees is good but an unchecked and improperly documented one could constitute a huge loss to the business.

It has been noticed that more and more workers are facing financial pressure due to the high cost of living and in most cases ran back to the company for support. While organizations are expected to serve as cushions they must exercise a lot of precautions in 2023.

• Strained and over-burdened workforce

The unemployment rate in the country in 2022 was about 33 percent, the number of those living in poverty rose to 35 million in the same year, and the country’s inflation rate climbed to 21 percent in 2022. Without mincing words, these statistics would definitely put much burden and strain on the workforce that has to cater to high dependents thereby creating a huge hole in their disposable income.

This is a big risk that often causes some workers to compromise their integrity and in some cases work against the interest of their organization.

• High turnover rate

Labour turnover is likely to be on the upward in the year 2023 except if the new government is ready to address pertinent questions that address the minimum wage, cost of living expenses, transportation cost, and the cost of doing business in the country.

• Disruption in business operations due to the “Japa” syndrome.

Japa is a new word that has unofficially entered the Nigerian lexicon. This is a situation where skilled, semi-skilled, and sometimes unskilled workers leave to seek citizenship and a career in other countries at the slightest opportunity without sometimes giving attention to their employment contract.

“Japaism” will increase in 2023 given the window of opportunity created in Europe and especially Canada and the UK. The implication for this will be the continued depletion of the Nigerian labour force, especially for skilled and semi-skilled workers.

WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS AT SIGHT AND WHAT SHOULD HR DO TO MITIGATE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT RISK IN 2023?

Having highlighted some of the likely human resource management risks in 2023; an attempt will be made to proffer solutions to prevent their occurrences. It is important to state that the scope of this article covers HRM risks and their implications on the organization and not employee risk assessment as it relates to workplace hazards which I had written about previously.

WHAT TO DO

• CONDUCT AN ORGANIZATIONAL-WIDE RISK ASSESSMENT AND SITUATE THEIR LIKELY IMPACT SHOULD THEY HAPPEN.

An organization is a structured system of human and material interaction for the production or rendering of services. The departmentalization of human activities will help promote easy tracking and assessment of employees’ performances and their likely impact on the overall well-being of the organization.

When properly constructed along the five human resources risks assessment module the business is more likely to notice the risks and their impact

1. Look out for the risk ( See preceding pages)
2. Assess the likely harm that the risk might cause
3. Evaluate the risk in terms of its impact whether high, medium or low
4. Document your finding
5. Act and review your action

• PUT IN PLACE A PROACTIVE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

In a similar vein, when the human resources requirement is well planned and structured it will create room for a proper evaluation thereby guiding against over and understaffing as the case may be. I have written an extensive article on Human management planning, please click on the link to access the report.

• CREATE A SYSTEM OF INTERNAL LEARNING THAT PROMOTE MULTI-TASKING

An internal learning system such as attaching junior personnel to work with a much more experienced person in the same organization could provide a buffer when there is sudden resignation of a staff. Such experience will become handy when a replacement or promotion is made into the vacant role.

• BE COMMITTED TO CREATING AN ORGANIZATION THAT EMPLOYEES ARE PROUD TO WORK IN

A toxic work environment, a careless boss or supervisor, or a less compassionate workplace would experience more human flight and exit without proper documentation or notices. It is in the care of the management and especially HR to set such a framework for a peaceful work environment.

• HAVE A LABOUR TRANSITION PROGRAMME IN PLACE

The employment contract permits free entry and free exit, so it is a given fact that at one point or the other the employment relationship would be severed it, therefore, become pertinent that as part of the HR planning, we must also have in place a transition programme to ensure that vacuum is closed when they occurred.

• BE PREPARE

In summary, 2023 does not look exceptional from the last ten years which witnessed high human resources management risks. This is an election year that will usher in a new government and likely policy changes that may affect businesses in general.

While the identified risks are noted I will also say that the right controls must be put in place to guard against the hazardous consequences of the risks to businesses and especially as they may affect the human assets of the organization.

Like the motto of the Boys Scouts, I say “Be Prepared”

Thank you for reading.

You may want to contact me for your staff training services or HR planning, please connect via my email: kayodemicah@darachassociate.com or call (+234) 8033356911, (+234)7088172236.

For a certification that is recognized globally please visit www.darachassociate.com we are the sole alliance partner to the American Certification Institute (ACI) and the authorized partner to the Professional Certification Board (PECB)

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Cloud security is a set of strategies and practices used to secure cloud environments, applications, and data. Cloud security ensures the preservation of confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy of information hosted in a private, public, community, or hybrid cloud deployment model. It provides multiple levels of security controls in the cloud infrastructure that ensure data protection and business continuity.

Why is Cloud Security important for you?

As the use of cloud computing grows constantly, so does the need to ensure cloud security. Data breaches and other forms of attacks happen mainly as a result of poor security practices, complicated controls, and misconfigurations. This makes cloud security essential to the effective operation of cloud services.

Organizations adopting cloud technology must ensure that the level of security of their cloud systems meets their requirements and complies with the applicable laws and regulations.

Implementing the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27017 helps cloud service providers and customers to establish, implement, and maintain information security controls related to cloud services. ISO/IEC 27017 provides additional guidance in selecting information security controls applicable to cloud services based on risk assessment and other cloud-specific information security requirements.

In addition, cloud service providers that process personally identifiable information (PII) in the cloud can implement the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27018 to meet the requirements of applicable regulations and legislation related to the

protection of PII.

Learning Objectives

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, approaches, methods, and techniques used for the implementation and effective management of a cloud security program
• Acknowledge the correlation between ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, and other standards and regulatory frameworks
• Gain the ability to interpret the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27017 and ISO/IEC 27018 in the specific context of an organization
• Develop the necessary knowledge and competence to support an organization in effectively planning, implementing, managing, monitoring, and maintaining a cloud security program
•  Acquire the practical knowledge to advise an organization in managing a cloud security program by following best practices

The Benefits of Cloud Security Certification

A PECB Cloud Security certificate demonstrates that you possess:

• A comprehensive understanding of cloud security concepts and principles
• The ability to identify and assess cloud-specific vulnerabilities and threats
• Practical knowledge to advise an organization in managing a cloud security program
• Knowledge of the tools and best practices needed to migrate to the cloud
• Knowledge needed to respond to and recover from a cloud security incident
• Skills needed to maintain and improve cloud security

The following are the results of a survey conducted with organizations that use cloud solutions:

How do I get started with Cloud Security Training?

We aim to help you expand your professional knowledge and advance your skills in cloud security. PECB experts are willing to help you with the certification process and with obtaining your PECB Certified Cloud Security Manager credentials.

Learning delivery

1. On-site (Addressed to your organizational requirements and needs)
2. eLearning (Online)

Certification Credentials

1. PECB Certified Provisional Cloud Security Manager
2. PECB Certified Cloud Security Manager
3. PECB Certified Lead Cloud Security Manager
4. PECB Certified Senior Lead Cloud Security Manager

Course fee

The fee varies depending on the stage of joining and if you met the Prerequisites.

Please contact us for details

Method of registration

Send an email request to info@darachassociate.com or simply fill out the booking form at www.darachassociate.com

Contact us

Darach Associate and Marketing Consulting Nigeria Limited

Topaz Plaza, Suite C 11, Km 18, Lekki Epe Expressway, Lagos, Nigeria.

Tel: (234) 80333656911, (234) 7088172236.

The post CLOUD SECURITY TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION (ISO/IEC 27017) appeared first on Kayode Ibukunoluwa-Micah's Blog.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Understand the Information Security standards and Information Security Management practices used to implement and manage Information Security Controls
• Understand the controls necessary to manage Information Security risks

KEY EMPHASIS

1. Identify Evolving Security Threats in Organizations
2. Reduce Information Security Threats
3. Achieve Better Information Security Awareness
4. Continually Enhance Information Security

WHAT IS ISO/IEC 27002?

ISO/IEC 27002 is an international standard that provides guidelines for selecting and implementing information security controls and for implementing information security standards and practices. It is applicable to organizations of all industries or sizes. ISO/IEC 27002 can be used to develop information security management guidelines tailored to the specific context of an organization.

Originally published in 2005 and then updated in 2013, ISO/IEC 27002 was again revised and published in 2022. This new version provides a list of information security controls generally practiced in the information security industry, along with guidelines for their implementation. ISO/IEC 27002 offers four categories of information security controls: organizational (clause 5), people (clause 6), physical (clause 7), and technological (clause 8).

WHY IS ISO/IEC 27002 IMPORTANT FOR YOU?

An ISO/IEC 27002 training course provides guidelines for implementing, managing, and continually improving information security management in an organization.

Different organizations have different information security needs and capabilities. With that in mind, the controls of ISO/IEC 27002 are designed to be generic and flexible. The PECB ISO/IEC 27002 training courses equip participants with the necessary knowledge for selecting, implementing, and managing such controls.

A PECB certification demonstrates the holder’s knowledge and ability to manage information security risks by applying relevant information security controls. It is also proof of their ability to help organizations preserve information confidentiality, integrity, and availability, protect against threats and vulnerabilities and reduce information security risks. Certified ISO/IEC 27002 individuals can be crucial members of an ISMS implementation team.

PECB ISO/IEC 27002 certification benefits

A PECB ISO/IEC 27002 certificate will prove that you have:

• Understood the implementation of information security controls and control policies based on ISO/IEC 27002 guidelines
• Obtained practical knowledge of the approaches and techniques used for the implementation and effective management of information security controls
• Obtained the necessary expertise to support an organization in planning, implementing, and managing information security controls
• Understood risk management and its importance in determining appropriate information security controls
• Gained the ability to support organizations in continually improving their information security management system

WHY CHOOSE PECB FOR ISO/IEC 27002 CERTIFICATION?

• Certification is one of the key methods of demonstrating your competence and abilities. PECB certifications in information security are internationally recognized and accredited by top relevant authorities. PECB ISO/IEC 27002 certifications are a combination of extensive training and a comprehensive certification process, providing you with professional credibility and boosting your opportunities for a successful career in one of the world’s fastest-growing and most in-demand industries.

• PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27002 training courses available

Learn more about information security controls by attending the PECB ISO/IEC 27002 training courses. Below you can find the training that best suits you.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Individuals interested in Information Security Management and Information Security Controls
• Individuals seeking to gain knowledge about the main processes of Information Security Management Systems and Information Security Controls
• IT professionals and consultants seeking to enhance their knowledge of information security

LEARNING DELIVERY

1. On-site (Addressed to your organizational information management threats)
2. eLearning (Online)

CERTIFICATION STAGES

1. ISO/IEC 27002 INTRODUCTION
2. ISO/IEC 27002 FOUNDATION
3. ISO /IEC 27002 MANAGER
4. ISO /IEC 27002 LEAD MANAGER

COURSE FEE

The fee varies depending on the stage of joining with Prerequisites met.

METHOD OF REGISTRATION

Send an email request to info@darachassociate.com or simply fill out the booking form at www.darachassociate.com

The post ISO/IEC 27002 INFORMATION SECURITY CONTROLS appeared first on Kayode Ibukunoluwa-Micah's Blog.

Globalization and the advent of the internet nailed and buried trade barriers among the nations of the world and except where the limitation is organizational, governmental, and personal you can operate or practice your trade anywhere in the world.

With the plausible benefits of globalization, the need for consistency in production and the requirements for quality across industries and management practices becomes an issue that attention must be given to. It is expected that an item produced or service rendered in one country must follow a globally prescribed standard, statutory and regulatory requirement to be acceptable in another country.

Corporate leaders want to build solid and sustainable businesses that consistently meet their objectives and produce or render services at optimal capacity. To achieve this organizations are open to ideas and learning. The International Organization for Standardization is globally recognized as a standard bearer in this regard.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION

International Organization for Standardization is a non-governmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO was founded on the 23^rd of February 1947 and has published over 24,609 international standards covering almost all aspects of technology, manufacturing, service, and quality assurance. ISO has 810 technical committees and sub-committees to take care of research and standards development.   

Through its over 1 million members in 167 countries, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant international standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

ISO / IEC

The International Association for Standardization does not set standards for organizations in the telecommunication and electronics industries. The requirements for information management systems and electronics are exclusive to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

IEC works with other regulators including the International Telecommunication Union and ISO to establish common standards identified by the prefix “ISO/IEC”.

THE BENEFITS OF ISO/IEC CERTIFICATION TO ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

When trained and certified by an accredited partner of ISO or IEC you enjoy some rare privileges and benefits exclusive to training certification that is structured in line with such professional requirements. Equipping yourself or your organization with an internationally acceptable standard of practice will not only boost your confidence but save you the associated cost which comes with trial and error.

ü Certification is known to confirm the credibility of an organization, especially with its trade partners and those doing business with them

ü To individual certification holders, the same amount of credibility is conferred on them as people that understand the full details and nitty-gritty of their job.

ü According to Corbett, et al., 2002 Does ISO Certification Pay? They were able to prove that “Certification appears to lead to improved financial performance measured by return on assets.

ü Firms that are certified see the absolute performance in their processes and substantial improvement in their customer retention rate.

ü for consultants, trainers, and other professionals, third-party certification provides independent confirmation that they are skilled and can deliver on the job.

ü ISO/IEC develops tested tools that serve as benchmarks for operational efficiency both for organizations and individuals. This benchmark provides the framework for certification holders to operate with.

ü A recent survey shows that more industrialized countries are ISO 9001 certified compared to their peers where certification is not well embraced.

ISO 9001 Certificates by Country, 2020

WHY YOU SHOULD BE CERTIFIED BY THE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION AND CERTIFICATION BOARD (PECB) AND THE AMERICAN CERTIFICATE INSTITUTE (ACI).

It is important to note that Darach Associate and Marketing Consulting Nigeria Limited is the legal and authorized partner of PECB and ACI in Nigeria. Darach has the authority of PECB and ACI to resell its ISO certification and training programs in Nigeria. Read more at www.darachassociate.com.

PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION AND CERTIFICATION BOARD

PECB is an authorized distributor of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) to market, and sell ISO and IEC standards. It has accreditation or third-party recognition and operates around the world through its partners, of which Darach Associate is one and represents the group in Nigeria.

PECB provides education, training, and certificate programs for individuals in a wide range of disciplines.

PECB helps professionals and organizations show commitment and competence by providing them with valuable education, evaluation, certification, and certificate programs against rigorous internationally recognized standards.

PECB certifications are validated by the International Accreditation Service (IAS – PECB 111), the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS – NO 21923), and the Korea Accreditation Board (KAB-PC-08) under ISO 17024.

Furthermore, PECB certificate programs are certified by the National Accreditation Board (ANAB – Accreditation ID 1003) and under ANSI / ASTM E 2659 – 1B).

PECB blazes a trail by continuously researching and initiating training courses that provide business solutions and standards in various endeavors.  As an Associate member of The Independent Association of Accredited Registrars (IAAR) and a full member of the International Personnel Certification Association, it ensures that certification holders enjoy global career advantages and are rated higher than their peers.

AMERICAN CERTIFICATION INSTITUTE

ACI, the American Certification Institute, is a premier professional certification institute well-known in the United States and about 70 Nations of the world. It was founded in the USA in 1999. Its Corporate Headquarters is in Lewes, Delaware, USA and it has numerous alliance partners in China, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Poland, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, Romania, and other countries. These alliance partners represent ACI in their respective countries and conduct ACI programs in collaboration with the Institute. ACI is dedicated to helping train the leaders of tomorrow for personal and professional success.

ISO 9001

The Certification programs of the American Certification Institute (ACI) of Lewes, Delaware have been verified and determined to meet all the Quality Management System (QMS) requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 9001, including the Quality Management requirements, requirements for Quality Systems Administration, requirements for Process/Product Operations, and requirements for Quality Control

CAN A COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL BECOME A DIRECT MEMBER OF ISO/IEC?

The answer is an emphatic no. It is important to note that ISO members are a network of accredited standards bodies representing different countries. A country can only be represented by one member. For example, The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), the Standardization Administration of the P.R.C (SAC – China), The British Standards Institute (BSI), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), etc. individually represent their respective countries.

CAREER BENEFITS OF ISO/IEC CERTIFICATION

The adoption of ISO requirements and standards requires expert knowledge and training. So, Nations through their representative established accreditation bodies to facilitate this. For Instance, the United States has The American National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for a body corporate your company can be accredited to support businesses in meeting the ISO requirements.

It is a known fact that individuals with ISO / IEC training and certifications are in high demand either by accredited organizations or those that aspire to have such certifications both in Nigeria and abroad.

And, because of the paucity of ISO certification holders, the few with such certifications are the toast of their industries and professions.

WHAT DARACH ASSOCIATE BRINGS TO THE TABLE

We partnered and represent two leading training and certification bodies; The Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB) and The American Certification Institute (ACI) to provide you with training and certifications that will ensure compliant ISO requirements for your organization and give the individuals global career opportunities.

HOW TO REGISTER

1)    Visit www.darachassociate.com and look up the courses in your field

2)    Send an email request to info@darachassociate.com requesting details of the program of your interest

3)    Or simply fill out the online request form.

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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.

Click on the link to read

THE FUTURE OF WORK AND FUTURE WORK

UNDERSTANDING CAREERS THAT WILL BE IN HIGH DEMAND IN THE

NEXT TEN YEARS

Thank you for reading and sharing

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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.

Click on the link to continue reading WHAT ARE THE FUTURE WORK THAT WILL BE HIGH-PRIZED AND BE IN DEMAND IN THE NEXT DECADE?

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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. 

Clink on the link to continue reading FUTURE WORK

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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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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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To this end, the American Certification Institute, Lewes, Delaware, USA has gone milestone ahead in equipping the human resource with innovative ideas and capability to prepare them for the challenges ahead. The Institute offers certifications that are acceptable in most countries of the world. Her training modules are in conformance with human resources management international body of knowledge.

AVAILABLE HR CERTIFICATION COURSES

1) Certified Human Resource Management Associate ( Foundation)
2) Certified Human Resource Professional ( CHRMP Level 1)
3) Certified Human Resource Manager ( CHRM Level 2)
4) Certified Human Resource Management Executive ( CHRME Level 3)
5) Human Resources Management International Certificate ( HRMIC)

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE

American Certification Institute, is a premier professional certification institute well-known in the United States and the world. It was founded in the USA in 1999. Its Corporate Headquarters is in Lewes, Delaware, USA and it has numerous alliance partners around the world. These alliance partners represent ACI in their respective countries and conduct ACI programs in collaboration with ACI. ACI is dedicated to helping train the leaders of tomorrow for personal professional certification.

TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION

The Institute’s training is designed and taught in modules. All materials are available in digital format. Where space and time do not permit candidates could take the self-study option and take the online examination at a later date which the students are expected to pass.

All certifications are issued in the United States of American and carried the seal of ACI. Certifications will become due for re-certification after 5 years.

ISSUANCE OF TRANSCRIPTS

It should be noted that the Institute issue transcript on behalf of certification holders to Institutes across the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries. Transcripts requests are made through alliance partners in the country where the candidate was originally certified.

MODE OF APPLICATION

Students are required to visit www.darachassociate.com or simply send an email request to info@darachassociate.com for details of the courses. Your application should specify your certification course of interest and your present academic qualification.

BASIC QUALIFICATION

Kindly note that the base qualifications for all ACI certification courses are B.sc, HND or other equivalent qualifications. Students applying for the foundation program must have completed his or her academic course and probably awaiting the NYSC program.

EXEMPTION

Those with post-graduate qualifications and significant work experience may be exempted from the level 1 program and be admitted to begin at level 2.

FEE

Details of the fee are available at www.darachassociate.com and the same can be made available upon request.

SUPPORT DESK

For more information kindly send an email to info@darachassociate.com or call Kayode on 08088172236, Femi: 08066492890.

OFFICE

Darach Associate and Marketing Consulting Nigeria Limited
Suite C 11, Topaz Plaza, Km 18, Lekki Epe Expressway, Lekki
Lagos.

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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.

Click to begin reading from understanding

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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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

https://askkayodemicah.com.ng/2019/05/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

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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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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