Too much officialdom allienates employees

By John Kariuki

Mercy had been a happy teacher until a new head teacher was posted to her school. Things changed for the worst overnight.

The new man was a stickler to schedules and procedures and would read the employment regulations to his staff often; relishing in the powers that it gave him. Staff briefs degenerated into one-man shows when everybody withdrew into their cocoon with no comment. When, in his estimation, he thought a teacher was not close enough, he would summon him or her to his office and create fictitious allegations. "You know that your talking about me in the staffroom constitutes the offence of insubordination?

Welcome to too much officialdom, which often alienates employees and hinders their full productivity. At its mildest form, excess officialdom often amuses but in its extreme it annoys and scandalises employees.

Local Customs

Of course some rule must be upheld for employees to respect others and their seniors and clients and to maintain confidentiality.

People need to report on time and work the stipulated hours for the good of the corporation. But even then, everything ultimately must be customized with the local customs of the employees.

Whereas many corporations have rules on compulsory security checks for employees when checking in and out, it is common sense that men cannot frisk women and vice versa. This is regardless of whatever the rule says or what the manager may think. In many government departments, there are clear guidelines on how to go on cases of suspension from work pending investigations into an employees conduct.

But some enthusiastic bosses often read too much in this rule and summon police officers to escort interdicted employees out the workplace and to ensure they don’t transact business in the duration of their suspension.

Others routinely wait for their missing employees to reach the critical period of absenteeism and write out desertion writs without bothering to find out what could have befallen such people and if they are still alive in the first place!

Yet almost everywhere, supervisors and bosses are only too happy to recommend a deduction of their employees’ salaries for the days or hours they catch them dithering with their work in a universal punishment. When you are too rigorous on doing everything officially, your employees are bound to keep a wide berth from you and only seek your audience when they have no other way. This applies to all issues; their personal matters and work related ideas that could be the corporate turning point. Besides, there are bound to be moments where official rules cannot coerce your employees to come to your aid and will leave you in your insular world!

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