Employers must be more respectful of their staff

Everyone goes to work to make money and having a bit more is always nice. There is however other, more important reasons, for working; the basic reason being that it gives people a sense of responsibility and fulfillment. Others go to work to help others accomplish their goals and actually love what they do. The unfortunate thing is that many employers think that their employee’s sole reason of working for them is to get the money at the end of the day, regardless of the work done. They think that the workers are not too concerned whether the company thrives and this is regardless of how many years the workers spent in school mastering their trade. It is a fact that when employees see the impact they have on things like customer satisfaction, on sales and profit they feel valued and are motivated to be even more productive. On the other hand, if an employee is not motivated, not appreciated and is working too hard for too little pay, the same case applies. They do not show good results, sales go down and they are not productive. Those are the unwritten rules in every working place. Nakumatt–Rwanda should not expect its workers to offer good customer care if they are not paid for the extra hours (overtime) and if their salaries are deducted as a way of punishing the workers for various misdemeanors. The Nakumatt management is said to have inflicted fear by threatening to fire anyone who asks questions about the managements failure to implement the resolutions they agreed upon last month.In today’s competitive environment, it will not be long before Nakumatt ceases to enjoy the monopoly of being the only 24-hour stopping centre in Rwanda. Threatening to sack the workers is not a solution; rather, it’s a sign of a company living in a comfort zone- a company that doesn’t care for the workers rights because, after all, there are so many jobless young people ready to replace them. Employees now understand that mobility and versatility are important in today’s competitive business environment. It’s certainly easier to retain employees that are paid well, cared for, and respected for what they do. Think of that house girl, who watches over your infant while you are at work; she cleans up and cooks for you while you are resting, and for all her efforts, she’s paid a meagre Rfw10, 000. She might not seem to need more than that but considering the work she does for you, she might need better treatment and not just a wage hike. Everyone including the housegirl aims at becoming better in life. If at all you would love to see her become something better than just a ‘mukozi’, then you might as well consider giving her a raise and teaching her how to save. Being credited for someone’s success not only earns one respect but gives you a sense of fulfillment and pride. Non monetary rewards such as free time, taking the house help shopping, and maybe paying for her/him some language course motivates and enhances the good relationship between the employer and her employee. This is a goal that is a win-win for everyone. The author is a journalist, The New Times.karuthum@gmail.com