EMPLOYEE INSIGHT: “DEDICATION IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE JOB THAT SPEAKS FOR YOU”- ANONYMOUS EMPLOYEE
Depending on how you perceive the workplace, it can be a learning platform for those willing and patient enough to be trained. One of the many things you learn while working is human relations and as we all know, humans could be quite dynamic and different in their ways. This has since been a major challenge for most persons in the corporate world since they have to constantly interact with colleagues in order to achieve the common goal of the company.
Now this task becomes more arduous when you are directly responsible for others within the workspace. You would realise that some people are easier to connect and work with than others. This week we interviewed a HSE Specialist who works at one of the reputable oil and gas companies in Nigeria and whose job specification entails supervision of workers in a bid to ensure they abide by safety rules, in order to maintain a safe working environment.
Even though this is a huge responsibility, our interviewee continues to learn better human relationship approaches with the aim to make the most out of his job. Let us take a glimpse of his work life…
Our interviewee when describing the impact of his work in his life indicated its enormous influence on him so far, “Working has given me a sense of responsibility. It teaches endurance especially with the fact that I meet different people with background and training different from mine. It increases my knowledge about life especially when I communicate with colleagues and those I supervise. The push to be better is also there,” he said.
Amazingly, he had studied a different course while in school and only developed interest for HSE along the line, “I studied Industrial Chemistry but during my Industrial Attachment in the HSE department, I picked interest in the field and equipped myself by undergoing a safety training during my NYSC,” he stated.
As regards his career trajectory, our respondent pointed out that he has been opportune to start with a higher position unlike his counterparts, “Compared to where most persons start from in building their HSE career, I started with a better position,” he indicated.
Though he seem to have had a smooth ride in his field, his experience came with many lessons to be learnt as regards relating with people in his workplace. He said, “I have learnt patience when building safety culture in people and realised that not everyone you are working with has your best interest at heart. At some point, you will get to understand that real life experiences are usually different from what you study in books. Also, dedication is an integral part of the job that speaks for you.”
Concerning his finances, he attested the positive impact working has made in his financial life thus far. “Really my financial life has improved tremendously. However the bad part is that you have to wait till month end to get that joy that good amount of money is entering your account.”
As we know, everything that has advantages also have a downside to it. Our respondent candidly expressed the disadvantages that accompanied his job, “You don’t get to rest as much as you would like. You are cut-off from what happens out there in the world because most times you are at work. There is also the aspect of someone talking to you as they please because they are above you. Blackmail is another thing that goes on around the worksite because certain persons want favours from their bosses,” he said.
Expressing his daily work struggles further, our interviewee said, “Some days you just want to sleep and not go to work but you have to show up anyway.”
When asked if he had a side hustle, he indicated he did and added it is simply based on the love he has for it and not necessarily for extra cash, “I teach in a foundation because I really love to teach,” he said
For his closing remark, our interviewee said, “Being a HSE Specialist is an interesting career that would teach you how to treat your own workers especially if you have it in mind one day to own your company.”
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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UNVOICED PERSPECTIVE: JOBS FOR SALE
One of the scarcest and presumably the hardest things to find these days in Nigeria is the ‘right’ job. In fact the concept of a right job have far been erased from the minds of many and overtime people apply for any available job. Every now and then thousands of unemployed people steadily cast their net broad and wide hoping to catch a job from the deep blue sea of companies. Asides from being open to any type of job, some people would do anything to get the job.
Due to this high desperation in job search, some recruiting agencies consider it to be a money making venture thereby exploiting many job seekers. Often times, some job opportunities these recruiter present are fake and just a deceptive means of enriching themselves. So while they present irresistible job opportunities to the desperate unemployed crowd, they enlarge their pockets.
In most occasions some job seekers are left indecisive, dangling between missing out and grabbing the seemingly life changing job offer. Several cases have been reported by victim who had the unpleasant experiences. From our research, we spotted a list of companies from the Ngcareer platform who have exploited many job seekers.
Shifting our focus away from exploiting recruiters, job seekers are also part of this as most are usually the first to strike a deal. They literally lure either the recruiting agency or the HR personnel in order to buy their favour.
With this development, it seems as though the job sector is slightly turning into a market where people trade, continuously buying and selling jobs. If things continue to play out this way we then ask the question, do the qualified ever get the jobs right for them or are the spaces sold out?
Let’s know your thoughts.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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EMPLOYEE INSIGHT: “THINK LONG, THINK HARD, BE OBJECTIVE AND LOGICAL WITH YOUR CHOICES”- NNEDIMMA IKEME
Teaching, especially when it comes to children, is one of the toughest responsibilities one could handle owing to the fact that much patience and energy is required. Nevertheless, this imperative task cannot be shoved aside and just like the great Whitney Houston sang, “I believe in the children of our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way,” emphasizing the need to properly educate the little ones.
While most parents and guardians don’t have the time and patience to live out these words, there are those who have dedicated their lives to teaching and grooming these children. This set of people whom we often call teachers continuously bear the
Today our spotlight is on Nnedimma Ikeme, a tutor in a lesson centre who uses both formal and informal methods to teach children. She is undoubtedly one of the few special hands chosen to nurture little ones and without exaggeration, one could perceive Nnedimma’s impact distance away.
CAREER TRAJECTORY
For one who had no prior knowledge about her current career path, Nnedimma has opened herself up and has developed deep passion for the new world in front of her. Nnedimma stated the tremendous impact working has made in her personal and career life, “working has greatly helped me prioritise my life better and has given me a clearer career path,” she said.
From what started as a casual voluntary work, Nnedimma admitted that she has grown to love her profession even though it was not her course of study in school. However, she has consciously equipped herself by exploring most of the learning opportunities available to her and has acquired necessary skills over the past three years.
“Working as a volunteer at first, helped me realize I loved teaching and with time, I worked intentionally to hone that skill; garnering experience as I worked.”
Nnedimma has experienced significant advancement in her chosen field since she commenced work. Her rapid career growth has proven that an amateur in any field can eventually become a master with diligence and dedication. “There has been growth with regard to promotion; from a volunteer, Assistant Tutor to a full-time Tutor that also doubles as an Interim Administrator when the need arises. The financial benefits have not been as good as I would like them to be, but it’s all ‘work in progress’”.
One way to check our progress most times is through feedback. Nnedimma narrated her most remarkable experience which highlights her initial struggles with a particular child and the results she had afterwards. Her narrative;
“My first one-on-one child, Jose Maria is someone I can never forget. He taught me patience and made me imbibe virtues that I thought alien to my personality, while I explored and stretched myself beyond what was expected from me as a teacher. Working with the older kids and still maintaining a wonderful rapport has also helped shape up my work life for the better. Feedback from parents and children alike, make all the stress worth it.”
Concerning her challenges at work, Nnedimma highlighted two major familiar key points which is usually the case for most people in her profession. “The exhausting long hours and the remuneration are major challenges.”
Due to the nature of her job, its demands and tight schedule, Nnedimma admitted that she barely has time to include other activities that would improve her financial life. “I earn better than I did five years ago, but considering the changing times, it’s not enough. The constrictive nature of my job does not give room for an extra source of income, hence my earnings are not enough for all I need to do within a stipulated time.”
Like most workers, Nnedimma identified low payment as a major disadvantage. She stated, “I work for long hours, but I don’t get enough remuneration. The hours do not give room for anything else,” she said. However as regards having a side hustle, “I would love to have one,” she confessed.
Wrapping up her interview session, Nnedimma had some deep words for young career climbers. “Think long, think hard, be objective, and logical with your choices. Money is a good incentive/motivator, but if you are green, ensure that experience comes first, then higher remuneration befitting one’s experience will surely follow,” she advised.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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UNVOICED PERSPECTIVE: BREAK OR BUILD WITH WORDS
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”- Benjamin Franklin
An unknown tool instrumental to the growth of a business, which most employers and employees fail to recognise, is spoken words. Many times, the words we speak might seem inconsequential to us to the point we fail to pay attention to what we say. We frequently underestimate the power of our words both to ourselves and to our colleagues at work.
In some corporate firms, a boss or senior staff uses the name-calling approach towards a junior staff to address an offense or a mistake. In addition, colleagues exchange hurtful words. “You must be blind not to have seen this mistake!” “Only idiots make lame moves like this,” “fool, leave my office”, there are endless examples that could be cited to show the unpleasant attitude displayed in the workplace. All these are termed ways of expressing oneself, in the process ignoring the other person’s feelings.
Some people brag about being vocal and therefore believe they have the right to lash out irrespective of who is involved. Never does it cross their minds to examine the weight of their words and the aftermath. In the end, there are a lot of many bruised emotions and disconnected people in the work environment.
When people are disconnected, there is a nosedive in productivity. It is important to note that words can either make or mar and even destroy professional relationships. No client would appreciate having abusive workers execute their job. This makes the work toxic and less efficient.
The opening quote made by one of the founding fathers of America, Benjamin Franklin, explicitly suggest how best to speak at every point in time regardless of how we feel. Benjamin Franklin obviously must have worked with all types of people with different characters. Yet in the midst of them, he learned a better way to handle human relationship. This is what we often refer as emotional intelligence.
Unlike Franklin, in our present time, many leaders of organisations have not quite understood how to relate excellently which has been a major flaw on their part. Knowing that the words you say to your team could either encourage or discourage them, more of them may become cautious with their choice of words.
Employees are not exempted. They too must learn to control their words and speak right. The organisation functions better when everyone has a knowledge of what is acceptable and what is not. Proper communication between people within the workspace should be included as part of the work ethics of any organisation. This way everyone shares the responsibility of building the company.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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When we understand that words could either
- Published in Team
EMPLOYEE INSIGHT: “WORKING HAS TAUGHT ME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE,” – RACHAEL
The financial management world is a broad and tasking one where concentration and discipline are the key to unlocking success as a practitioner. Handling of finances, no matter how small especially in the area of loans, is probably one of the most risky jobs. Despite the risk involved, more persons continue to find their footing in that line of career. Let us peek into the work life of Ahayedo Rachael Osarugue, a Credit Officer.
Rachael summarises her job description simply, “I give out loans and also help people save.” This may sound simple but certainly entails a great deal of financial expertise in order to deal with the different financial situations of clients.
CAREER IMPACT
From her educational background, Rachael was lucky to have had a little foundation in her chosen career, “I studied business administration in school and right now I’m presently managing my branch though my career is based more on accounting now.”
Racheal has gleaned some vital life lessons during the course of work, she stated the sense of responsibility it has given her and her ability to adequately make futuristic plans.
“Working has really made me understand what my parents went through to settle my needs while I was much younger. It has also taught me how important it is to plan for the future as working is not forever.”
From her experience, Rachael concluded, “there is no good or bad client.” With this non-judgmental attitude towards her clients, she continues to keep an open mind about her job. This way she ensures all clients are served without any bias or disrespect.
Notwithstanding her open mindedness, Racheal acknowledged a major disadvantage that more often than not causes a setback in the organisation. “It’s possible you give out loans and you don’t get a payback or your payback is delayed,” she said.
The first step to solving a problem is to first identify it. After Rachael identified what challenged her most, she ensured it never hinders her from executing her job excellently. “I’m not too good with computers so I have to go extra length to do a perfect job,” she admitted.
Unlike most employees whose reason for having other opportunities asides their main job is basically to make more money. However, Rachael, driven by her passion for teaching, added it as a side hustle. She rightly stated, “I teach sometimes because I enjoy it.”
Based on her work experience so far, Rachael specifically advised those that would like to venture into the same career, “just don’t trust any client, not even the one that seems best at the moment.”
From the lessons Ahayedo Rachael Osarugue has shared with us, you can tell the work of a credit officers isn’t easy but with the right attitude, one can continuously improve and become better.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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- Published in Team
UNVOICED PERSPECTIVE: THE DANGER OF NEPOTISM
The effects of nepotism on the growth of a business can never be overemphasized. Actually, it has been a clog on the wheel of most businesses. It is painful and discouraging when a loyal employee, due for promotion, is relegated in favour of another who is not qualified for that particular position but is accepted because he or she is the Boss’s relative.
Unfortunately, most business owners are not aware of the far-reaching consequences nepotism has on their business growth. Indirectly, this scenario encourages what we call ‘eye-service’ in the workplace. Every employee wants to be in ‘Oga’s good books’ by behaving a certain way in his presence – to get his favour – and in his absence, act in a certain way which on the long run affects the business negatively. They do this not because they hate the organization but because of the insecurity they feel with regards to their being promoted based on their efforts in growing the business and not the bias that comes from their Boss’s nepotistic tendencies.
Nepotism affects employee’s psychology making them feel that since they don’t stand a chance of being promoted or their efforts being recognized, they shouldn’t bother working hard or putting in their best; having it at the back of their minds that their Boss’s relative will always be preferred over them. Over time, employees’ passion for the job declines and everyone tends towards ‘eye-servicing’ because they feel that no matter how good they are and what values they have added to the company, their efforts will go unrecognized.
When employees do not give their best to the organization, it negatively affects the quality of the service rendered and in time, customers complaints starts soaring and subsequently a withdrawal in patronage occurs and this causes the business revenue to decline because income is generated when money is exchanged for products or services offered by the business to their customers. When there are no customers or a few customers, you know what that implies.
In addition, most business owners should take the bull by the horn to put an end to this workplace mayhem since this problem largely stems from them. Employees love to work in an environment where their career advancement prospects is certain against an atmosphere that stifles their potentials. As much as we love our relatives, if they aren’t best fit for a position and you have a loyal staff who is due for that position, why not allow him or her occupy that position?
Although we have looked at nepotism as it concerns promotions, it also plays out in other areas at the workplace like when taking disciplinary action to staff for unruly behavior. Everyone should be subject to same rules and principles, and not selective administration of penalties.
Written by Rejoice Emmanuel
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EMPLOYEE INSIGHT: “BE HUMBLE, DILIGENT AND DEDICATED”- DELE BABALOLA
Whilst an increased pay could be a motivating factor for most employees, some however have proven that their dedication hasn’t been driven by money. Even though they look forward to earning more than they currently do, they never allowed that to get in the way of delivering their work.
We had a better understanding of this when we interviewed Dele Babalola, a HSE/M Officer with over six years of experience. Even with the many responsibilities attached to his title, from identifying all risk causing factors that could delay work progress, bring harm to staff, damages to equipment. Basically, he handles the maintenance and repairs of all hospital equipment and property as well as logistics for the hospital operation and demands, and still, Dele ensures that he executes them all excellently.
“Work has made me target oriented,” he said, indicating how his work has impacted his life.
CAREER TRAJECTORY
It is one thing to start a career but finding a need to be met in that chosen career is something most employees often don’t think about. Dele, on the other hand, has found a need in his profession and as such has never considered a career change. “There are health challenges and staff wellbeing to consider,” Dele said.
Even though the progress he has made in his career so far has been accompanied by more demands, Dele believes that it’s all part of being an employee.
“My work has been filled with promotion, more responsibilities with little financial increase. They said the benefit of a reliable employee is more work.”
As regards his finances, Dele said, “it has been a steady growth,” and quickly added, “an increase in pay never hurts.”
Despite the challenge of low pay, Dele desires more knowledge that would increase his efficiency, “More training would help me become more efficient.”
When asked if he has a side hustle, Dele admitted, “yes, because salary no matter how much is always budgeted before it even gets to you.”
Dele Babalola ended his interview with these simple words of advice directed to young career people, “keep being focused, constantly improve your skill set, certifications go a long way. Be humble, diligent and dedicated.”
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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UNVOICED PERSPECTIVE: DEALING WITH POLITICAL CONVERSATIONS AT WORK
“I particularly think sunny days come with many hitches; the scorch, the sweat, the constant dehydration. Today is one of those days and the last thing I can stand is a heated office argument. That would only add to the ache pounding in my head, all thanks to the blazing sun.
This was why when a certain colleague of mine started the talk about the recent elections in that his usual loud manner, I quietly left for the other office. I still needed the little sanity I had left and just couldn’t afford to waste it on an argument with him. I knew him too well; his biased nature always gave him away on different topics. He was one who would never give in to his opponent’s opinion neither did he ever try to respect boundaries.
From the other office I could hear voices raised, each person defending their preferred candidate and their different political parties. An outsider would think it was a political rally instead of a corporate firm. Minutes later, out of the chaotic atmosphere I heard a slap and then punches followed before I knew it clothes were ripped. I couldn’t believe this was happening. The fact that adults would pick a fight because of a mere argument left me perplexed.
Later that day, the culprits were summoned by the HR manager and our boss. Trouble hovered in the sudden silence because we could tell what may come their way. The following day we learnt they had been given some punishment and everyone was banned from discussing about politics in the workplace….”
The story described above gives a mild description of what controversial topics like politics could result to. It is the season of elections and most people would be tempted to get involved in fierce political discussions anywhere they find themselves.
There is nothing wrong with having a political discussion but since the workplace is filled with people who have different ideologies concerning every life issue, it’s always advisable to avoid conversations that cause disputes. From research, topics like politics come with a lot of strife because people would always prefer one candidate to the other.
Many persons are passionate about a political party they believe is in line with their value system. It is a case of different strokes for different folks. The reality is not everyone will accept or promote your candidate and any attempt to force your belief down anybody’s throat could result into an ugly quarrel or fight.
Asides from steamed conversations, other things that can stir up strife are; wearing campaign attires to work, mocking other political candidates that could be your co-workers’ favourite etc. It is important that workers avoid anything that would trigger misunderstandings. This doesn’t imply that one shouldn’t have their opinion, on the contrary they should. However, if the idea is to spite others, then it is not worth it.
One important thing workers need to value in any workplace they find themselves is their relationship with fellow colleagues. Heated arguments like the scenario described above can ruin both one’s reputation and one’s relationship with co-workers. When this happens, team work becomes tedious and unproductive.
In a case where the political disposition of employees goes overboard, the employer has every right to ban any form of such discussions. In fact rules should be put in place to ensure there is mutual respect. Workers should always be conscious of the fact that the work environment is strictly designed for business, to achieve corporate goals and not for personal sentiments.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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- Published in Team, Uncategorized
EMPLOYEE INSIGHT: “IN EDUCATION, EVERY CHILD IS UNIQUE.”- MRS CHIKA
Mrs. Chika I. A. started out her teaching career as a care giver but has risen through the profession to becoming a well-experienced expert in educational management and a proficient developer of start-up schools convincing and increasing the confidence of parents/guardians to admit their wards and thus bringing in more money to school owners in Port Harcourt. She is currently a consultant manager for schools within and outside Port Harcourt metropolis and is a staff of the Universal Basic Education Board where she teaches in one of the State Primary Schools in Port Harcourt. With over 20 years of seamless dedication, we’ll see what drives and sustains her passion in one profession most young Nigerians wouldn’t want to venture into.
CAREER TRAJECTORY
As earlier mentioned Mrs. Chika began her career providing care to 0 to 1 year old babies in a private school in Port Harcourt, more than 20 years ago; long after obtaining her GCE (General Certificate of Education) in 1990 and having before then, obtained a Distinction in her first school leaving examination. With little or no degree in education, she had a rough and slow ride in advancing her career as a teacher and went in and out of teaching, sometimes freelancing as an assistant teacher (which is more or less the job description of a teacher) in some private schools paying peanuts in Port Harcourt. Her dedication, hard-work, touch of excellence and eagerness to learn and adapt to the 21st century advancements in education teaching methods, gave her an edge over her counterparts in the teaching profession. This skyrocketed her career growth and she began working in the full capacity of a Teacher and had taught for several years before obtaining her National Certificate in Education (NCE) in 2010. During our interview with her, She stated that most of the schools she taught in had parents giving good reports and recommendations as she made tangible impacts in the lives of the pupils and proprietors found it difficult letting her go. She says:
“In fact one of the proprietors I worked for, that wasn’t faithful in salary payments, almost created a scene when she knelt down on the tarred road – in public view – pleading that I should come back teaching in her school; promising to pay on time; but I had gotten a bigger offer to manage a start-up school then, so I couldn’t stay.”
Mrs. Chika developed one of the most prime and quality schools in Port Harcourt in terms of infrastructure, sophistication of teaching materials; serene, beautifully painted and well decorated child-friendly classrooms, safe playing ground and well protected balcony’s, going on to conducting and supervising the recruitment process of quality staff, developing the curriculum/scheme of work for each class, utilizing various curricula combinations (American, British, Montessori), liaising with suppliers of educational materials and getting the best deals in quality, emphasizing on the importance of extra-curricular activities, vocational skills, musical instruments prowess and ballet dance skills, swimming skills, excursions, e-learning, efficient teaching methods for special kids, amongst other educational advancements. She went on to establish more schools in that regard. Her taste for knowledge drove her to getting various educational certifications and then she applied for a Bachelor’s degree in Education. When the employment offer by the government came, she had to make a tough decision of leaving her position and its pay to a position offering less than half her pay then. This shows vividly that her passion for teaching isn’t driven by money. She resigned and is currently a staff of the Rivers State Government under the Rivers State UBE board touching the lives of less-opportune children.
CAREER IMPACT/CHALLENGES
Having quite an interesting career trajectory, Mrs Chika threw light on the impact and challenges she had encountered so far on her career journey. Speaking on how working has impacted her life, she declares;
“I have gained experience over the years which have made me work with much more confidence, contributing to my expertise and making me highly sought-after by school investors and directors. So, the experience I have which can’t be taken away added to my wealth of knowledge in my profession and the financial aspect – though not much, has been of great impact to me.”
In addition, she spoke on the challenges that she encounters whilst working.
“The non-supply of teaching aids and learning materials has been a major challenge so far. My employer supply what they think is basic like the board, just recently more desks for the children were brought in, and a conducive classroom. But there are some other teaching aids and learning materials that needs to facilitate teaching and learning which they ought to supply but they don’t; so it hampers the teaching and learning process. Also, the meager salary paid in these economic times is a challenge. We have to live within our means and save ahead and also stock the kitchen ahead of time because we aren’t certain when the next salary would come. ”
When asked if she faces any challenges with teaching stubborn children, she has this to say:
“In education, we don’t tag any child stubborn. Every child is unique in his or her own way.”
PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENTS IN TERMS OF PROMOTION and FINANCE
Besides the challenges Mrs. Chika faces whilst impacting knowledge to the upcoming generation, there has also been a stall in promotional benefits of staffs. In fact it spreads across the civil service and we know that with promotion comes an increase in finance. Expressing her disappointment, when asked her career trajectory in terms of promotion and benefits, she has this to say:
“As a civil servant, it’s not in my hands to detect. It’s the government that carries it out. Though, there ought to be promotion after every two years during which promotional interviews are conducted; but for the past 10 years now nothing like that has happened. So I depend on God who doesn’t disappoint to reward me better. Aside the loans which are given once in a while, I’m unaware of any other benefits.”
HIGH POINT OF CAREER
When asked the question: ‘What has stood out for you since you started working, in other words, what’s your best experience so far?’. She has this to say:
“The outcome of my teaching on the lives of the children and teaching itself gives me joy. Children don’t need to be grown-ups to reflect the teaching even there and then, change occurs. Education is all about change and when this change manifests in the children’s’ lives it gives me joy. When you tell a child – if it’s in the moral aspect – that this is not good, and you see that child adjust and there’s a change in behavior, you know that you have achieved your goal. When you’re teaching a subject which the child had no previous knowledge about and at the end, that child becomes a guru on that topic, you’ve achieved your goal and achieving goals makes you happy and satisfied with your job”.
CAREER ADVICE
As a wrap up, our interviewee gave her advice to those seeking to build a career in Teaching. She opined;
“Have genuine love for the profession and passion also. If you don’t love teaching don’t go into it. Don’t go into teaching because you want to make money. You can’t make money in the classroom. You can’t turn those children into money or you’ll be tagged a ‘ritualist’. God has a way of blessing teachers. I can’t quote in ABC terms that this is how God blesses teachers; God has his own unique way of blessing teachers. So don’t go in expecting huge mega pay because you may be frustrated but go in with the intention of helping those young ones grow in knowledge”.
Mrs. Chika added that teachers should open themselves up to opportunities for career development.
“The world is changing and so every aspect of life changes with it. We should not be rigid but easily adaptable to technological advancements in education and teaching techniques”.
From Mrs. Chika’s Perspective about the work place, it is quite obvious that growth in whatever career path you’ve chosen is driven by your passion, taste for excellence/knowledge and not just the money. In fact the money shouldn’t be the prime focus especially in the teaching profession and happiness comes when you’ve met your goals.
Written by Rejoice Emmanuel
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UNVOICED PERSPECTIVE: OFFICE LOVE PLAY…
The valentine season is here and as usual lots of love birds would be flying out from their love nests. Funny, but some may be total strangers while some of them may be long-time friends, and then some may be colleagues at work.
Business, they say, shouldn’t be mixed with pleasure, but a research carried out in 2017 revealed that more people are getting involved in office romance as the days go by. This is often traced back to the fact that most workers spend eight to ten hours a day and almost every month in a year in the workplace with the same set of persons. They have no other option but to share the same space with others. However the problem arises when they go beyond office work and begin to create a romantic atmosphere around themselves within the workplace.
A research carried out by a professional platform, CareerBuilder, highlighted that 41 percent of employees have dated a fellow colleague thereby failing to maintain a professional relationship. It was also recorded that 12 percent of these relationships started while working extra hours into the night, 10 percent began after a happy hour, while 9 percent started during a lunch outing and 10 percent started after meeting by chance outside the work environment.
Though most cases of office romance involve colleagues in the same level or department, studies have shown that 29 percent in-office relationships are between someone in a higher position and a junior colleague. It also revealed 15 percent have had an intimate affair with their direct boss. When caught or exposed, 37 percent deny the relationship and 63 percent admit it.
Interestingly it was stated that 30 percent of these relationships end up in marriage even though most fizzle out with time. The outcomes are never predicable but still a hard question stares us in the face, should there be room for romantic relationships in the office space?
Over the years most companies have frowned at the concept of in-office relationship and have continued to search for ways to eradicate its roots from their workplace. They believe it would destroy the image of the company and so have employed different measures to handle cases like these such as by banning it, penalising culprits or even firing them, making their employees sign a contract forbidding office romance, and so on.
However, CEO of Engage PEO, Jay Starkman, stated that placing a ban would only encourage more secret relationships in the organisation. He suggested this instead, “an employer should establish a clear policy that requires reporting of the relationship to HR so that it can be monitored and people can be properly advised on how to conduct themselves.”
Even though some company polices may seem harsh, most times they exist in order to prevent unpleasant situations from occurring. Like Roy Cohen, a career counselor and executive coach, puts it, “Many organizations have rules about dating colleagues not because dating a colleague is a bad thing. You may share common interests and motivations and you may both love the organization. The rules exist to avoid any messiness that might arise when the relationship ends, when one of you gets promoted, or if one of you has access to information that should not be shared, especially if it might benefit your partner unfairly.”
Most often than not, most organisations try to avoid issues like this but then they keep on reoccurring and could be a source of distraction from the main company’s target. Well a one sided judgement is usually not the best so what’s your take on this as an employer or employee? Should the love birds be allowed to fly freely or should they be caged? Leave a comment below.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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