26 June 2020 - 12:13As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, many industries and companies will have to make alternative plans to keep their doors open. That being said, the show must go on and projects across the world and in Africa must continue., governments around the world have already allocated over $13-trillion to stabilise economies in free fall and restart growth.
SA has always been slow to follow other countries in adopting the growing trend towards employment outsourcing and the use of contingent labourThe role of human resource management will take another deeper dip, as its administrative tasks continue being replaced by self-service portals such as the intranet, workforce planning tools, and payroll software.
This is all in line with the lean way of thinking and digitisation. However, many organisations are still practising a lengthy and cumbersome manual process when it comes to onboarding and offboarding employees.This comes as a direct result of companies being on lockdown and, in some cases, halting production. According to Bartley Joseph, MD of, SA has always been slow to follow other countries in adopting the growing trend of employment outsourcing and the use of contingent labour.
“Covid-19 should make all employers reconsider their stance in this matter. The benefits far outweigh the traditional permanent and direct employment models. More than ever, companies need to enjoy the flexibility and on-demand options that these models provide. Why pay for tenure when it is more impactful and efficient to use skills only when you need them?” says Joseph.
The challenge many organisations face is particularly prevalent when it comes to needing to pay contingent employees across borders. When considering doing business in Africa, one of the first challenges is access to financial resources and the risk involved with making foreign payment. And in-country laws pertaining to work permits, registration of businesses, labour and taxation can be daunting.