Business
They ’ ve been too busy trying to cut costs and negotiating with employees to choose between retrenchments or pay cuts . Unsurprisingly , workers generally opted for a lower salary over the uncertainty that they might be the ones left without a job .
PRODUCTIVITY In spite of these dramatic events , many companies report an increase in productivity . This is due to flexible working arrangements allowing employees to save time and money not travelling to the office .
It ’ s also an indicator that employees who are allowed to schedule their own time will do so responsibly . They can start working immediately and will often put in additional hours to make up for time spent on personal tasks .
These might include caring for children , home schooling and homecare duties , or transporting them to school and back . Stay-at-home employees also insist they are working longer and harder than ever before . This has created mental health issues on a grand scale , which needs to be addressed by employers .
As this happens , we can expect a gradual economic recovery that should have a positive effect on employee reward packages .
TWO MAIN TRENDS In terms of their workforce , employers are focusing on two main concerns .
The first is a complete review of their HR policies in relation to dealing effectively with and setting pay for workers who are not located on premises . These new policies are no longer founded on inputs and time spent at the place of business . Instead , they consider the outputs , outcomes and impact of these workers , and how to prepare managers to lead them remotely .
" Employees who are allowed to schedule their own time will do so responsibly .”
THE EFFECT OF VACCINATION ON REWARDS As vaccinations continue rolling out in South Africa , we don ’ t expect this to have a direct or immediate effect on rewards .
However , the more South Africans are vaccinated as a society , the quicker employees can return to work full time , and the sooner secondary effects will be realised , like the return of tourists to our shores .
The second is that we ’ re witnessing a major shift towards protecting employees ’ mental health and well-being , and assisting them with professional loneliness . As the pandemic has dragged on , this will doubtless become a key element of every organisation ’ s reward strategy . RACA
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I April 2022 49