I bang my head against the brick wall today but felt no pain. Don’t be alarm my brothers and sisters but it was as a reflection that some of my sharpest brain cells seem to be lapsing and slowing down in processing and analysing information that it received. Too early, for such active brain cells to slow down because I am still a long way from hitting highway number 60. Oh well it just goes to show that one way or another no matter what age we are all prone to human frailties. This led me nicely on to the subject which I would like this forum to discuss. Not too long ago the Sierra Leone Human Resource Department assemble a press conference to berate the lack of cooperation from Public Institutions who have signed performance contracts and failed to submit their Institutions reports to the review and evaluation of achievement against targets and milestones set for that reporting period. Simply put most Institutions failed to submit their performance contract outcomes report by the due date and up to the time of the SLHR press conference those review periodic reports were still outstanding. SLHR at that press conference outlined a critical and draconian position of withholding wage as a sanction for those Institutions deemed to be accountable. It was a time of great jubilation amongst us the people as we laid out the palm leaves on the path which these SLHR Heroes and Heroine must tread on their way back to their Headquarter. Social media forum shouted hosanna and bravo to SLHR for such bold stand to withhold wage against labour. As my slow brain cells begin to fine tune that press conference release, I am of the view that hosanna is not of the highest in this case and that a fundamental principle of HR practices has been infringe under employment law. An employee contract of employment is based on a multi facet requirement by both the employer and the employee to abide by such terms. There is the ultimate sanction of dismissal for underperformance but withholding wage for hours worked is not an option because it strikes at the heart of the employee right to be remunerated for hours of labour committed to the employer. One clear measurement in satisfying such wage requirement is attendance and active duty at work. Notwithstanding the principles of HR practice and procedures, withholding wage in return for completion of targets, rather reward the culprits because it suggest a rapped on the knuckles for the individuals concern to take their time and submitting their report with the confirmed knowledge that their pay packet will follow. I submit that withholding of an employee wage for underperformance is unlawful under employment law and that a better sanction befitting underperformance is a disciplinary one which has the ultimate sanction of dismissal. Question 1) Do you think SLHR is legally and morally correct to withhold wage against labour for underperformance? If so tell us why 2) Is withholding wage until target reports are submitted not undermined the principle of target and outcome management planning and in fact rewards laziness within our public Institution to continue operating as per usual?
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:23:16 +0000
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