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"Beyond adopting solutions centred around alternative sources of power for laptops, PCs and phone lines, South African businesses need to implement tailored planning around the load shedding challenge," says Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup South Africa.
By Lyndy van den Barselaar ManpowerGroup South Africa Managing Director
In its interim results for the six months ending March 2023, the Pep group said that the number of trading hours lost to loadshedding increased 500% during the period, rising to 211 000 hours (nearly 9 000 trading days across its almost 250 stores) – and costing them almost R72 million in diesel for generators. Add to that the increased financial pressure on consumers brought about by reduced work hours and even job losses due to the knock-on effects of loadshedding and retailers, corporates and businesses of all sizes are facing a perfect storm that will shrink revenues and present staffing challenges.
Loadshedding has been with us since 2007 and isn't going anywhere soon, which means it's also a threat to workplace productivity without alternative power sources. "Beyond adopting solutions centred around alternative sources of power for laptops, PCs and phone lines, South African businesses need to implement tailored planning around the load shedding challenge," says Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup South Africa. "With the correct plans in place, employers can mitigate the risk of lower productivity in their organisations."
Flexibility is key
One way to mitigate the challenge of load shedding is to adopt flexible working hours modelled around the schedule – ever-changing as it may be - and allow employees to work remotely, where possible. If loadshedding stages ramp up and the worst challenges occur during working hours at the office premises, allowing them to remain productive by working in an area where they are able to access electricity and an internet connection can save hours that otherwise would have been lost.
Although flexibility is necessary to mitigate loadshedding, it aligns with current workforce trends. "ManpowerGroup research has found that millennials and Gen Z's prioritise flexibility when choosing an employer – which means that employers offering flexible working options will have motivated and productive staff and will do well to attract and retain the talent within their organisation," says van den Barselaar.
