Late for work again?
November 2, 2004
The socio-political landscape of the new South Africa has changed in the last 10 years and this has affected the geographical separartion of workers and workplaces.
Workers now have to travel long distances to the suburban office parks where they are employed and employers have had to get used to, and understand, a new dimension of late-coming in the workplace.
Not the least of the dramatic changes since 1994 has been the policy of affirmative action, whereby employers have been under pressure to change the racial composition of the workforce and bring in more people of colour.
The result has been a gradual increase in the number of previously disadvantaged individuals in positions formerly held mainly by whites in offices, shops and factories.
It has also meant a greater concentration of people of colour in economically active commercial and industrial areas which few of them had access to in the past.
This phenomenon has rapidly given rise to a new class of employees, actively participating in the commercial sector of the economy but still constrained by the geographic dictates of the past.
These were determined by the government and meant that workers had to reside in demographically designated areas, or townships, located far from the centres of economic activity.
Regardless of skills levels, many people of colour were formerly employed in menial capacities, such as domestic workers or labourers.
Now the way is open for anyone with a little bit of initiative to get a better job, with improved benefits and greater career prospects.
The catch is that only a handful of these previously disadvantaged individuals have joined the ranks of the seriously wealthy, enabling them to relocate to the more affluent suburbs and to acquire their own transport.
For the vast majority, however, apart from an improvement in income levels and working conditions, life hasn't changed much.
Moving to the suburbs is not economically viable for an ordinary wage earner, nor is buying a car, so they remain stuck in the townships, which now are often even further from their places of employment than before.
And the modes of transport for the vast majority of workers from the townships remain the ubiquitous taxis or a combination of taxis and trains, both notoriously unreliable.
"It certainly is a very real problem that has emerged from the political changes we've seen in the country," says Tim Hackney, the managing director of Manpower.
"It's a factor we have to bear in mind whenever we consider a candidate for placement in any permanent or temporary position.
"How practical is it going to be for them to get to work and back?
"It does happen that people, desperate to improve their lot in life, are prepared to accept positions far from their homes, and that can result in their being late for work sometimes.
"I'm definitely not saying that this should be accepted carte blanche as a regular excuse, but I am saying that it is a new reality in the workplace which we need to pay attention to."
A workable solution, which has been implemented by a number of companies, is the practice of flexi-time, Hackney points out.
"Although this is not always practical, wherever it can be applied, it can help to maintain productivity, while at the same time accommodating employees who sometimes have a real problem getting to work on time.
"In our ever-changing world of work, it pays to look for innovative solutions," Hackney concludes.
Manpower can be contacted on 011-706-5559.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star Workplace on November 01, 2004
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