Dear Editor,
Consideration should be given to the possibility that our workers may be in need of better work life balance? The Party that was established to fight for worker rights should understand that workers do not abuse sick leave unless they are in need of time off. Given that it is considered widespread is more proof that there may be a serious underlying issue. It has been stated that some workers are working very late into the evening to help move government initiatives forward. It has even been stated that their dedication to the work at hand is exemplary. If workers are working late into the night to get things done, it means that there is too much to get done. We have seen this manifest itself in the poor work being done due to the lack of capacity to meet the emphasis being placed on speed of implementation.
The government must reconsider the work load that their enthusiasm for transformation is creating. Maintaining balance between work and life is essential to sustaining a motivated and healthy workforce. The punitive approach being taken by the President may create more backlash and backlog than intended. It may be better for each ministry experiencing workers taking questionable sick leave to review the workload and seek suggestions from their teams as to how to balance the work to allow for better work life balance. There is no rush to get several of the projects implemented. We must reconsider the urgency of the work at hand and structure the timeline so as to allow our workforce to comfortably achieve the goals set in an effective manner.
Those who wish to grab the incentives being put in place for overtime will do so. At the same time, we must allow those who prefer time with family and time to enjoy the finer things in life, which they are working to be able to experience, to do so. Work is a means to an end. It is not the end goal. We are a nation in the tropics. Leisure and enjoyment is our core advantage. We must allow our development to be in sync with our easygoing culture. Our workers’ rights must remain important, and our concern and empathy towards the workforce must be exemplary. This is why we must maintain the correct work life balance needed to ensure that our workforce continues to enjoy what they are achieving.
Sincerely,
Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana
