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THE LAW OF REST 2

 Two major points from The Law Of Rest 1 were:

- Only thieves refuse to go on annual leave. And

- Those who refused to Rest will be laid to Rest..

My experience as an employee as regards The Law of Rest, was closely tied to my decision in 1990 that I will not work for any body or organisation that will not allow to go on annual leave.

I'll like to report that apart from my first job where my first annual leave delayed for 17 months due to the probation period, there was no other place that I worked that I did not go on annual leave as at when due, even in one organisation, where they tried to prevent and/ or cut short my annual leave, I frustrated them.

Two examples from two public quoted companies:-

Firstly, I proceeded on my annual leave and the Head, Human Resources, tried to recall me back from leave and my direct boss refused stating that when he goes on leave and travels to the UK, he was never recalled. To this the Head, HR opined that I was a Nigerian. My boss told him, that I was an expatriate Nigerian. However, the HHR went ahead to write the recall letter, when the letter was brought to me at home, I did not read the letter but merely tore the letter and dropped it in trash can.

Secondly, In another public quoted company, I applied for the balance of my annual leave and Human Resources Director told me that instead of sitting tight to learn the new roll I was crossed-transferred, I was asking for leave. I stood my ground and proceeded on the leave, for which the HRD started a hate campaign against me.

On the other hand, as a HR Officer in a public quoted company, where I was responsible for all leaves for junior staff and equally responsible for staff attendance control in the company, it was very interesting.

As a fresher from post-graduate school, the labour laws equally fresh in my mind, I discovered  on the average that the company was owing a large number of staff over 3 years annual leave, which was at variance with law that staff shall not accumulate more than 2 years annual leave. What I did was to approve two years leave for any staff who applied for annual leave. The Assistant General Manager(Administration) went to report yours truly to the Genera Manager/ CEO that I was disrupting production by sending staff on annual leave without the consent of Line Managers. The CEO commended me for the action and directed that I should send more staff on leave, stating that he had had difficulties in accounting for increased production figures without increase in production inputs. As for me, I also proved the point I made at joining the company that it was over-staff, for which I was shouted down.

From the above, I was an agent of positive change that brought about increased out-put with the same input which reduced the cost per unit which inturn resulted in higher profit for the company. HR should work at reducing waste and increase profitability without necessarily reducing staff.

Next week, we shall share a content on the process of arriving at the  new minimum wage. It is a postmortem.

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