With each passing day, it becomes clearer and clearer that a complete return to normalcy, i.e. the pre-Covid-19 era, would not be possible in the foreseeable future, and that it is a massive process that can only be achieved by taking small but important steps towards it. During the journey towards normalcy, one important aspect is addressing the damages caused by the pandemic, both from a health standpoint and an economic standpoint.
It is against this backdrop that encouraging news emerged from the Department of Labour, which announced last week that it has begun conducting a survey to gather information about private sector employees who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sparking hope among the country’s former private sector workers who are now unemployed. The Department also told The Morning yesterday (21) that a decision as to whether compensation would be paid to them would be taken in future, on the basis of the findings of the survey.
Therefore, there is no certainty that those who lost their jobs would be provided with any relief or as to which sectors the said survey would focus on if indeed compensation is to be provided. However, everything must start somewhere, and this is cause for optimism for many struggling families who are reeling from the loss of their breadwinner’s job or their secondary income generator’s job.
However, if the authorities are, in fact, planning on using the findings of the said survey to take any long-term steps, it is advisable to determine in advance which areas would be given priority (when taking post-survey steps) and design the survey accordingly.
This survey presents several opportunities, and the country’s labour authorities identifying and making good use of those opportunities is also vital, as job security is a concept that is made up of a large number of small but important factors.
First and foremost, if it is not already a priority, authorities can make this survey an opportunity to find out how the country’s job sector was affected during the Covid-19 pandemic. Beyond the provision of compensation, these findings would be instructive in assessing the attitudes of private sector employers and businesses to their employees, and how much of a part loyalty and generosity played in compelling these employers to keep their workers on the payroll until it became absolutely impossible and unsustainable. This would help differentiate the purely profit-oriented businesses and business owners and contrast them with those that were willing to tighten their own belts and take the financial hits just so they could repay the hard work and commitment of their workforce by not eliminating their livelihoods.
Also, this survey, if the authorities are willing to go the extra mile, will also help them identify the long-term issues affecting the country’s private sector such as lack of job security and exploitation of labour, in addition to merely assessing the number and nature of job losses caused by the pandemic. Perhaps, if implemented, this step would also be a good opportunity for responsible private sector companies to identify what they should do better, because at the end of the day, their businesses depend on the employees’ performance and satisfaction.
The most important thing is that this survey’s end result should neither be a mere analysis of how the country’s private sector was affected during the Covid-19 pandemic nor a compensation programme for those who lost jobs. Even though it is not possible to avert a global pandemic from causing the collapse of businesses or the economy, authorities can take policy and legal decisions to rectify and/or abate the factors that caused the job losses.
At the end of the day, people’s lives and livelihoods largely depend on job security, and ensuring it should be the priority.
A truly welcome survey
22 Mar 2021
A truly welcome survey
22 Mar 2021
With each passing day, it becomes clearer and clearer that a complete return to normalcy, i.e. the pre-Covid-19 era, would not be possible in the foreseeable future, and that it is a massive process that can only be achieved by taking small but important steps towards it. During the journey towards normalcy, one important aspect is addressing the damages caused by the pandemic, both from a health standpoint and an economic standpoint.
It is against this backdrop that encouraging news emerged from the Department of Labour, which announced last week that it has begun conducting a survey to gather information about private sector employees who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sparking hope among the country’s former private sector workers who are now unemployed. The Department also told The Morning yesterday (21) that a decision as to whether compensation would be paid to them would be taken in future, on the basis of the findings of the survey.
Therefore, there is no certainty that those who lost their jobs would be provided with any relief or as to which sectors the said survey would focus on if indeed compensation is to be provided. However, everything must start somewhere, and this is cause for optimism for many struggling families who are reeling from the loss of their breadwinner’s job or their secondary income generator’s job.
However, if the authorities are, in fact, planning on using the findings of the said survey to take any long-term steps, it is advisable to determine in advance which areas would be given priority (when taking post-survey steps) and design the survey accordingly.
This survey presents several opportunities, and the country’s labour authorities identifying and making good use of those opportunities is also vital, as job security is a concept that is made up of a large number of small but important factors.
First and foremost, if it is not already a priority, authorities can make this survey an opportunity to find out how the country’s job sector was affected during the Covid-19 pandemic. Beyond the provision of compensation, these findings would be instructive in assessing the attitudes of private sector employers and businesses to their employees, and how much of a part loyalty and generosity played in compelling these employers to keep their workers on the payroll until it became absolutely impossible and unsustainable. This would help differentiate the purely profit-oriented businesses and business owners and contrast them with those that were willing to tighten their own belts and take the financial hits just so they could repay the hard work and commitment of their workforce by not eliminating their livelihoods.
Also, this survey, if the authorities are willing to go the extra mile, will also help them identify the long-term issues affecting the country’s private sector such as lack of job security and exploitation of labour, in addition to merely assessing the number and nature of job losses caused by the pandemic. Perhaps, if implemented, this step would also be a good opportunity for responsible private sector companies to identify what they should do better, because at the end of the day, their businesses depend on the employees’ performance and satisfaction.
The most important thing is that this survey’s end result should neither be a mere analysis of how the country’s private sector was affected during the Covid-19 pandemic nor a compensation programme for those who lost jobs. Even though it is not possible to avert a global pandemic from causing the collapse of businesses or the economy, authorities can take policy and legal decisions to rectify and/or abate the factors that caused the job losses.
At the end of the day, people’s lives and livelihoods largely depend on job security, and ensuring it should be the priority.
Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!