Low Productivity And Absenteeism Highlighted In THA Labour Seminar
The Tobago House of Assembly has a productivity output of 3%, according to Department of Labour data from 2017.
This and other alarming statistics were revealed at a seminar hosted by the THA Department of Labour on productivity and absenteeism.
Human Resources expert Dr. Hyacinth Guy says a big part of low productivity is tied to absenteeism, with an alarming cost.
« Research has shown that one lost day can cost multiple times the employee’s daily wage. The estimates are 8 to 11 per cent of payroll. »
Now, should employees be allowed to be absent at all?
Guided by international best practice, Dr Guy says there is a reasonable amount of absences which should be allowed.
« So they said if you are absent up to eight days a year and you are managing an absence programme, that is not unreasonable. Of course if there is abuse, then that is something that you have to deal with. »
Dr. Guy’s research found that there is abuse of sick leave primarily within the public sector. Within the private sector, an average of seven to eight sick days is utilised annually.
For media practitioners, the figure is even lower, with fewer than five used annually.
« Generally, the public service organisation, the majority, in excess of 80 per cent of those persons, took all of the 14 days. »
This statistic is symptomatic of people working the system, which negatively affects workflow. Already long bureaucratic processes are delayed further, and other workers are burdened with extra work. To correct this, Dr. Guy noted, a different approach is needed.
« We have traditionally looked at it as control through policies and so on. But even though we want to have our policies in place, we also want to create a culture of engagement. »
Setting SMART goals, improving work environment, defining expectations and standards, establishing worker autonomy and flexible work hours are just some of the recommendations for encouraging public servants to be more present at work and increase productivity.
