Latest News from The Orange
In this newsletter:
- How Healthy Are Your Employees?
- Who Is Working For You?
- How Safe Are Your Employees?
- Are Your Employees Financially Secure?
- Events
How Healthy Are Your Employees?
Today, more so than ever before organisations are concerned about their budgets. The recession is hitting businesses the world over but we do not realise how deeply this thread runs through our organisations.
Employees, who many companies believe are their greatest asset, are experiencing similar, if not more difficult times at home. An employee experiencing stress in his/her home environment will naturally be unable to be 100% productive in the workplace.
Stress is one of the greatest contributors to ill health and statistics have shown that healthy employees take up to nine times fewer sick days than their unhealthy colleagues. They also make up to 60% fewer errors than their colleagues.
Whilst many large organisations have structures in place to assist their own employees, a large portion of the work is outsourced to other companies. We know that smaller organisations are unable to set up a full Human Resources Departments or Employee Assistance Programmes.
Help is available for these organisations where they can assist their employees:
- To be more healthy
- To be more physically fit
- To feel safe and secure in their work environment
- Have access to facilities where they can discuss issues of concern either of a personal or work related nature
This, in addition to a comprehensive employee screening programme, can go a long way to improving productivity and the loyalty of the workforce.
Who Is Working For You?
In 2007 auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a global survey revealing South Africa as having the highest economic crime rate in the world with department managers accounting for 17% of reported frauds throughout this period.
This year KPMG carried out an Integrity Survey revealing that 74% of South African companies have experienced misconduct with 59% of employees admitting that they would do whatever they felt necessary to succeed and 5% stating that they believe they will still be rewarded for their wrong doings.
An economic climate like the one the world is facing today, coupled by subsequent retrenchments, slashed salaries, and limited job opportunities entices people into fraudulent behaviour. This leaves many managers and business owners with great concern regarding the type of employees they have entrusted the smooth operation of their business to.
The Orange offers comprehensive employee screening packages through its partner iFacts (www.ifacts.co.za) recommends that employers take note of the following checklists when appointing new staff:
We strongly believe that it is essential for companies to ensure that their screening policy stands the test of time and should you wish to make an appointment to discuss your policy please do not hesitate to contact Jenny – jenny@orangebusinessboost.co.za
How Safe Are Your Employees?
Employee safety goes hand-in-hand with company safety.
Many business owners think that trained employees will always follow the correct health and safety procedures. Statistics show that 88% of accidents are caused by unsafe acts of workers.
During 2006/2007 the Department of Labour served 10 949 notices to businesses that infringed on health and safety requirements. Of those companies 1 230 were forced to stop production.
Many business owners believe that productivity is more important than health and safety. Did you know that the ratio of insured cost to uninsured cost is R1: R53 per incident? How much profit do you need to make to absorb an uninsured incident cost of R1 million?
Company executives need to be aware because the Department of Labour is clamping down and conducting an increased amount of workplace inspections which can result in huge fines and sometimes imprisonment for the CEO.
Are Your Employees Financially Secure?
A survey conducted in America revealed that one in every four workers felt distressed about their personal financial situation. Considering the current economic climate, this situation has certainly worsened.
According to a 2008 MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends, a national survey of 1 380 full-time employees, an increasing amount of employees indicated an interest in obtaining advice and guidance from their employers for their financial problems. Employees are increasingly interested in professional advice regarding their benefits, their retirement savings, and their overall financial situations.
However, less than half of the companies surveyed offered programmes to help employees with their financial problems. The most common programmes available were educational courses on debt management and one-on-one counseling with a financial management advisor.
It is believed that employees in financial difficult pose not only a financial risk to an organisation but will not give their full attention to the work at hand. Employees owing money are constantly running from debt collectors and it may be as simple as them not answering phones to avoid this. Employers need to be aware of the risk that this poses in the workplace.
Events
The past month has seen great interest in the programme where employers are excited about The Orange and the benefits to their organisations. Jenny has presented at two major events in the past month.
ICT Exhibition in Harare, Zimbabwe where a full employee screening is shortly to be launched through Securico, the leading security company in Zimbabwe.
UNISA’s recent CRIMSA conference where the paper “Is Employee Screening enough to keep your employees honest” was presented. The paper was well received by delegates and the comment was made that it was time for people to start seeing themselves as isolated in the world and we needed to ensure each other’s wellbeing. It was felt that by taking care of the wellbeing of employees, companies would succeed.
The paper presented is available on The Orange website - click here to access it.