Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic - PwC
Transcript of Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic - PwC
Kenya Survey report
Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic
11 May 2020
PwC
Disclaimer
The information contained in this report is provided for general information purposes only, and does not constitute the provision of legal or professional
advice in any way. Before making any decision or taking any action, a professional adviser should be consulted. No responsibility for loss to any person acting
or refraining from action as a result of any material in this report can be accepted by PwC.
This report has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the
information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the
accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc, its subsidiary and
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or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this report or for any
decision based on it.
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1. Background and Context
2. Workforce Management
3. Incident Management Team
4. People initiatives to cope
5. Effects of compensation
6. Employee Engagement
7. Challenges of working from home
8. Preparing to return to work
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Table of contents
Background and context
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Background
The COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health
Organization, causing huge impact on people’s lives, families, businesses and communities. The introduction of
stringent measures to contain the spread of the virus in many countries has meant that many companies have had
to temporarily scale back their operations or close completely.
In Kenya the government has introduced various initiatives to help curb the spread of the virus. The resulting
financial uncertainty has left some businesses with a need to closely manage costs, and as a result, make
decisions about employee pay at an executive and/or workforce level.
PwC conducted this quick poll to understand, share experiences and find out how organisations are coping in
Kenya. Times of uncertainty are also times of opportunity. They can help your business grow in ways you may not
expect. This free report presents the results of this survey.
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PwC Kenya rolled out a Covid-
19 survey from 21st April 2020
to 28th April 2020 to assess
how organizations in Kenya
are coping during the
pandemic period.
The survey received a total of
122 respondents
organisations from different
sectors and sizes.
Most of the respondents have
between 100-500 Employees.
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Respondents by number of employees
Figure 1: Respondents by number of employees
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Manufacturing, NGO and
Insurance sectors had the highest
number of participants with Trade
having the least.
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Respondents by sectors
Figure 2: Respondents by sector
4%
PwC
Survey participants continued
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No Organisation No Organisation
1 748 Airservices Ltd 21 Children of God Relief Institute2 AAR Insurance Kenya Limited 22 Chrsyal Africa Ltd3 Absa Kenya 23 COLAS East Africa Ltd4 Acacia Exploration Kenya Ltd 24 Corporate Insurance Company Ltd5 Action Africa Helo International 25 Digital Divide Data6 Africa Merchant Assurance Company Ltd 26 East Africa Breweries Ltd7 Africa Oil Kenya BV 27 East Africa Reinsurance Company Limited8 African Population & Health Research Center 28 Easyway Safety9 Amnesty International 29 Ecobank Kenya Limited10 APA Insurance Ltd 30 Enwealth Financial Services 11 Atlas Copco 31 Evidence Action Inc12 Azuri 32 Feed the Children13 Bamburi Cement Limited 33 Fidelity Insurance14 Base Titanium 34 First Assurance Kenya15
Booktalk Africa Limited
35 First Reinsurance Africa Brokers Ltd & Pacific Insurance Brokers (EA)
Limited16 Boresha Sacco 36 GA Insurance Limited17 Britam Holdings PLC 37 Ghana Reinsurance Company K Ltd18 Buhler Ltd 38 GIZ Kenya19 Cellulant 39 Gulf African Bank Kenya limited20 Centum Investment Company 40 Haki Centre
Table 1: Survey participants
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Survey participants continued
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No Organisation No Organisation
41 Halliburton 61 Lotus Kenya Action for Development Organization42 Hand in Hand Eastern Africa 62 LSG Sky Chefs Kenya Limited43 HF Group 63 Majid Al Futtaim44 Hilton 64 MILICON'S LTD.45 Intercontinental Nairobi 65 Mitsui & Co. Europe Plc, Nairobi Branch46 IRA 66 MMAN47 Jacaranda Hotels 67 Musoni Microfinance Limited48 James Finlay Mombasa Limited 68 MYDAWA49 JUBILEE INSURANCE 69 Nedbank50 JUBILEE JUMBO HARDWARE LTD 70 NIC BANK51 Juhudi Kilimo Limited 71 Njoro Canning Factory Ltd52 Juja Preparatory School Co. Ltd. 72 NSE53 Jumbo Nuts Ltd 73 Nzoia sugar company54 Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC 74 Occidental Insurance Company Lts55 Kenya Ports Authority 75 Om Nom Ltd56 Kenya Red Cross Society 76 OSIEA57 Kenya School Of Government 77 Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA)58 Kenya Wine Agencies Limited 78 Pathcare Kenya Ltd59 Lewa Wildlife Conservancy 79 Pembroke House School60 Libra.Consulting.co.ke 80 PFW Safaris Limited(Offbeat Mara Camp)
Table 1: Survey participants
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Survey participants continued
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No Organisation No Organisation
81 Pioneer Insurance 101 Technical University of Mombasa82 Porsche Centre Nairobi Limited 102 The Monarch Insurance Company Limited83 Precision Agriculture for Development 103 TradeMark East Africa84 PricewaterhouseCoopers 104 Unilever Tea Kenya Limited85 Prudential Life Assurance Kenya 105 United Millers Ltd86 Quest Holdings Ltd 106 Vajas Manufacturers Limited87 Radisson Blu hotel Nairobi Upper Hill 107 Vintage Africa Limited Trading as Sense of Africa88 Real People Kenya Ltd 108 We Effect89 responsAbility Africa Ltd 109 Windle International Kenya90 Ritz Enterprises Ltd 110 Xplico Insurance Company91 Safaricom Plc92 Sahan Research Limited93 Sailesh Navsaria94 Sanlam Investment East Africa Limited95 Sanofi96 Sarova Hotels,Resorts & Lodges97 Sheffield Steel Systems Limited98 Simba Corporation99 Strathmore University100 Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd (TCML)
We also had 12 (anonymous participants)
additional organisations that provided data
but requested anonymity.
Table 1: Survey participants
Workforce Management
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In this section respondents
were asked to rank some of
the common issues faced
by organisations in the
order of the impact they
have to their organisations.
Workforce / people issues
had the highest score
meaning these would
impact the organization
more followed by decline in
sales or revenue.
This is particularly so
because of the various
government initiatives that
have seen employees work
from home.
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Severity of issues organisations are dealing with
Figure 3: Severity of issues
9%
6%
2%
16%
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
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The respondents
were asked to
respond with a YES
or NO to questions
about various
workforce
considerations.
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COVID-19 Survey -Kenya
The workforce considerations
AIs a comprehensive set of people policies in place that address the risks identified by your scenario planning and any
local, legal or regulatory requirements?
BDo you have full visibility of your people (geography, nationality, visa, etc.) and the right processes and systems in
place to track your workforce, including those on business or personal travel and/or secondment?
C Have you identified the critical projects and established a plan to remediate risks related to key roles?
DHave you completed workforce profiling to understand where work levels are likely to decrease or increase due to
impact?
EHave you put risk mitigation around employees working whilst ill and causing further spread by considering the
ability to enforce policy changes quickly?
F Have you set up a hotline for your workforce to field questions and provide advice as needed?
GHave you enabled flexible working arrangements in the event of quarantine, and do you have the necessary
infrastructure in place?
HDo you have up-to-date and accurate information to make decisions on moving your workforce, if needed (e.g.
alternative locations)?
IHave you reviewed your HR policies (e.g. flexible working, immigration, travel, and other relevant policies and
regulations)?
JDo you have a system in place to monitor changing laws and regulations (e.g. travel restrictions) affecting your
workforce?
Table 2: Workforce considerations
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
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Organisations indicated as mostly
true to having enabled flexible
working arrangements in the event
of full lockdown, and have the
necessary infrastructure in place.
33% of organisations were yet to
review their HR policies to align
with the “new normal”.
31% of organisations are yet to
have comprehensive policies to
address the risks identified in
response to the pandemic
27% of organisations are yet to set
up hotlines where the workforce
can field questions and provide
advice as needed.
27% of organisations do not have
up-to-date or accurate information
to make decisions on moving their
workforce, if needed
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Responses to various undertaken
measures
81%
67%
73%
93%
73%
83%
79%
84%
86%
69%
19%
33%
27%
7%
27%
17%
21%
16%
14%
31%
J
I
H
G
F
E
D
C
B
A
Qu
estio
ns
YES
NO
Figure 4: Responses to measures taken
Clear
direction
• While much is unknowable in
the short term, the long-term
purpose of your
organisation still stands.
• Reiterating your vision and
commitment could provide
much-needed comfort - as will
clearly communicating what’s
not changed, what new
measures are being put in
place, and what you are doing
to help.
Support to
deliver
• With more people having to work
from home, virtual channels to
connect and deliver are more
important than ever before.
• If they do not have access to
specific apps and platforms,
consider using a dedicated page of
your website for audience-specific
updates.
• This should include sharing the
sources of support available to
them in difficult times.
Connect
with
purpose
• When usual channels such as physical
get-togethers and events are not
possible, it’s vital to create new ways
for people to continue connections
with the organisation they love.
• This can be anything from a multi-
person videoconference, to sending
something in the mail, to simply
picking up the phone to ask someone
how they are. (regular check ins)
Trust in
leadership
• Your staff, volunteers and
stakeholders will be looking to leaders
at this challenging time.
• They won’t expect you to have all the
answers in an evolving situation, but
will appreciate hearing that you’re
working on it - and that you continue
to care and appreciate them.
• Have clear, consistent messages
that address both your people’s
concerns and your organisational
needs
• Communicate regularly – even if
nothing has changed.15
PwC
Principles for stakeholder engagement in these challenging times
Organisations should take affirmative steps to identify, assess and (as far as
reasonably practicable) control risks based on current public health advice, for
example;
• avoiding putting employees and other personnel at risk of exposure, by
directing and ensuring that persons self-isolate in accordance with government
advice;
• implementing practical measures to enhance personal and workplace hygiene
and safety, such as good ventilation, disinfecting commonly-used equipment,
providing hand soap and sanitizers, and directing employees and volunteers
experiencing relevant symptoms not to attend the workplace or interact with
clients or other third parties in connection with work.
• Additional infection prevention and control practices should be implemented
using best practice recommendations for workers that are at increased risk
from contact with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 (e.g. the primary
health care workers or and aligned essential industries) or staff who may be
interacting with people that are particular vulnerable to COVID-19 (e.g.
immune-compromised persons or those in aged care);
• Reviewing your medical covers and getting in touch with the health providers to
understand what is covered and not and how to mitigate the same if
employees are infected.
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Health and safety measures
Have clear, consistent messages that address both your people’s concerns and your organisational
needs – making the complex simple.
Align the internal with the external for
your people
• Employees will be looking for internal and
external clues about what is going on.
• Assume that everything that goes internal will
go external, and vice versa.
• Communicate with both audiences in mind.
• Consider both business needs and the impact
on people. Balance factual information with
empathy, as needed for your audiences.
• Strong leadership is essential. Agree on
• who the appropriate spokespeople are for
your organisation. Less voices are preferred
to many.
Speak with a clear, single voice
• With COVID-19 dominating everything from
headlines and emails to socials, it is more important
than ever to be considered and consistent with
communications. A clear, single voice will give your
people confidence.
• Messaging always takes time to land with audiences
– now, more than ever, don’t assume one
communications touch point is enough for your
audiences.
• Ensure internal stakeholder alignment first.
• Communicate regularly – even if nothing has
changed.
• Messaging doesn’t need to be one dimensional – be
nuanced, but it must be clear and simple.
• Consider the appropriate tone of voice. Factual
communications should be precise and honest.
Communications about people should be empathetic.
Communicate with direction and
intention
• In a noisy environment, it can be hard to
know what messages take priority. Being
clear about what you want to elicit from your
communications will ensure they are
successful.
• Connect to the broader story, ensuring the ‘why’
is covered as much as the ‘what’ and ‘how’.
• If you want action, be clear about what that is,
and how your audiences (e.g. leaders and
employees) can be successful.
• Consider using headingles that communicate
the response you want e.g. for information or for
action.
• Write communications with the audiences in
mind, using a frame such as ‘think, feel, do’ for
what you want audiences to experience or
action as a result.
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Communicate with clarity
Concentrate on your purpose
Now is the time to be focusing on your
core business – doing what’s most
important to maximum effect.
People instinctively want to contribute
to something greater than themselves.
In times of uncertainty, your purpose
gives a strong focal point that people
can connect with and feel pride and
satisfaction in working towards.
Revist your purpose and articulate
what it means to your business during
the current circumstances. Consider
how the actions of your people can
contribute to achieving your purpose.
Using the purpose as a guide gives a
decision-making tool that can clarify
why particular tasks will be put on hold
for the time being.
Live your values
Values guide the way we act and the
cultural attributes we hold dear.
In times of uncertainty, fear and a
sense of a loss of control can take
over, causing people to experience
reinforcing cycles of negativity.
Your organisational values are
important in helping people to
feel in control and positive.
Focus on recognition and reward of
your people who demonstrate your
values in times of change.
Consider refreshing the behaviours
that underpin your values at a time
where people are likely to be working
remotely or in different patterns.
Team first Create and strengthen a sense
of community
Working distantly from one
another makes people feel
isolated. It’s important to give
people ways to feel part of
the team – even if the team
isn’t physically together.
Create regular check in
rhythms that let your team
connect – such as a virtual
daily standup, or regular
points throughout the day.
Consider which parts of your
work would be hardest to do
remotely, or in different
patterns, and establish new
ways of working that ensure
the feeling of a team remains
strong.
We’re all going through this together.
The stories that are shared directly impact
how people feel, creating connections between
people and reducing fear and uncertainty.
Create psychological safety so that people feel
that it’s normal to feel uncertain or anxious and
that it’s ok to talk.
Amplify messages about how your people
have positively responded to working in new
ways. Tap into people’s desire to help in a
crisis.
Share stories that instil pride and purpose –
building on the cultural strengths that already
exist in the organisation.
Don’t shy away from tough conversations. Be
prepared to speak authentically and vulnerably
about the challenges we are facing.
Feeling connected to a shared purpose and a sense of community, particularly in these isolating times, is vital to motivating teams.
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CConnect as a community
Incident Management Team
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
PwC
The purpose of this section
was to find out how well
organisations were
prepared for the pandemic
in terms of setting up an
incident management
team.
Respondents were tasked
to choose True or False
statements about various
preparedness measures.
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The measures were as follows
A
You have established cross-functional steering committee (Incident Management Team), led by a C-suite
member (senior representation from business divisions plus specialist leadership such as HR, Legal, IT,
Operations, Risk, Communications, Finance, Health and Safety, Procurement, Sales) to respond to the
Covid-19 Pandemic.
BYou have established and agreed on the process for decision making and agreed on critical milestones
during this pandemic.
CYou have determined reasonable worst-case scenarios that are informing planning assumptions to ensure
business continuity.
D You have mapped critical stakeholders and agreed communication strategies for them.
EYou have ensured alignment with organisation reputation, purpose and values (e.g. supporting the wider
community response).
FYou have managed communications to staff and stakeholders, and feedback loops ensuring balanced
transparency and preparedness with not wanting to appear to be over reacting.
G You have ensured business continuity plans include arrangements and processes for handling infections.
Table 3: Measures taken
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
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Organisations indicated as
mostly true, that they had
managed communications to
staff and stakeholders, and
feedback loops ensuring
balanced transparency and
preparedness with not wanting
to appear to be over reacting.
On the other hand, an area
that organisations can improve
on, is ensuring business
continuity plans include
arrangements and processes
for handling infections.
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COVID-19 Survey -Kenya
Responses to various undertaken
measures
86%
96%
88%
90%
92%
94%
89%
14%
4%
12%
10%
8%
6%
11%
G
F
E
D
C
B
A
Percentage True or FalseM
ea
su
res
TRUE
FALSE
Figure 5: Responses to measures taken
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Set up an Incident Management Team to coordinate your response
The Incident Management Team should do the following;
▪ Set clear roles, accountabilities and objectives.
▪ Agree meeting cadence and team ways of working.
▪ Communications and stakeholder engagement strategy.
▪ Use approved sources of information to monitor the spread of the virus and emerging clusters of cases.
▪ Embed an incident reporting mechanism.
▪ Identify critical decision triggers to manage and contain the virus e.g. travel restrictions; office closing/work from home;
meeting restrictions/virtual solutions.
▪ Deploy a rapid response process for your own cases and develop employee recovery plans.
▪ Verify that technology infrastructure can support remote operations.
▪ Review supplier service availability and resilience.
People initiatives to cope
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
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In this section respondents
were asked to select some of
the measures that their
organisations had taken so far
in response to the pandemic.
Respondents were allowed to
choose multiple responses.
Most Organisations had utilized
or were utilizing the annual
leave especially where staff
could not work remotely or
were not fully occupied.
Only 8% of organisations had
laid off staff and only 18% had
initiated or would initiate pay
cuts in the next few months.
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Responses to various undertaken measures
2%
8%
16%
18%
23%
31%
34%
36%
43%
59%
65%
65%
71%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
None of the above
Staff lay offs
Unpaid leave taken
Pay cuts
Bonuses postponed
Mental Health interventions
Promotions frozen
Salary increments postponed
Working from home all days
Working in shifts
Hiring freezes
Working from home some days
Annual leave taken
ME
AS
UR
ES
Measures taken by various organisations
Figure 6: Measures taken by various organisations
PwC 25
Measures taken by sectors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
Mental
health
initiatives
have been
taken by
31% of
Organisatio
ns with
Manufacturi
ng,
Hospitality
and
Insurance
sectors
mostly
taking this
measure.
Table 4: Measures taken per sector
Sector
An
nu
al
lea
ve
tak
en
Un
pa
id
lea
ve
tak
en
Pa
y c
uts
Hir
ing
free
ze
s
Wo
rkin
g
fro
m h
om
e
all
da
ys
Wo
rkin
g
fro
m h
om
e
so
me
da
ys
Bo
nu
se
s
po
stp
on
ed
Pro
mo
tio
ns
fro
zen
Sta
ff l
ay o
ffs
Me
nta
l
Hea
lth
inte
rve
nti
on
s
Sa
lary
inc
rem
en
ts
po
stp
on
ed
Wo
rkin
g i
n
sh
ifts
No
me
as
ure
ha
s b
ee
n
tak
en
Base Total 71% 16% 18% 65% 43% 65% 23% 34% 8% 31% 36% 59% 2%
Manufacturing 13% 13% 7% 13% 12% 9% 13% 11% 6% 23% 13% 10% 33%
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel
and tours, Clubs, Game
parks etc.)
10% 24% 38% 13% 5% 9% 23% 15% 27% 2% 14% 10% 0%
Professional Services 10% 19% 17% 9% 15% 8% 13% 13% 18% 9% 12% 9% 0%
Banking 7% 0% 4% 8% 10% 9% 12% 8% 0% 7% 8% 10% 22%
Insurance 17% 10% 4% 15% 12% 20% 10% 14% 0% 19% 13% 19% 33%
Agriculture 5% 0% 1% 4% 2% 6% 5% 8% 3% 0% 6% 6% 0%
Trade 3% 3% 7% 3% 1% 3% 1% 4% 0% 0% 1% 3% 11%
Non-Governmental
Organisation12% 14% 0% 16% 17% 15% 3% 7% 12% 20% 9% 12% 0%
Construction/Energy/Oil&G
as/Telecommunications5% 0% 4% 4% 7% 4% 3% 4% 18% 6% 6% 7% 0%
Other 16% 17% 18% 16% 19% 16% 17% 17% 15% 12% 17% 14% 0%
The base total in the table below is the actual total response from respondents broken down vertically into various sectors (may not add up to exactly 100% because of rounding off effect)
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
PwC
The purpose of this section
was to find out if
organisations were
providing clarity to
employees and
stakeholders during the
Pandemic period.
Respondents were tasked
to choose True or False
statements about various
initiatives.
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The initiatives were as follows
AYou have created an internal and external stakeholder map for key communications (considering staff,
customers, suppliers, regulators etc.)
BYou have a clear communications strategy which has been implemented to protect your reputation and
maintain the trust of your stakeholders.
C You are constantly communicating with your employees.
D You are keeping employees regularly informed about the latest updates and guidance.
E You are providing reassurance and consistent messaging to all staff and showing a duty of care.
F Your crisis communications are aligned with your organisation’s culture and communications requirements.
G You have considered the tax and regulatory implications of moving people to alternative locations.
H You have systems and processes in place to monitor movement of your employees to different locations.
IYou have insurance policies and access to emergency insurance in relation to your scenarios (e.g.Covid-19
virus implications).
J Your IT infrastructure can support extensive remote access demands.
K You have assessed whether the changes in the IT environment would increase the risk of cyberattacks.
Table 5: Initiatives undertaken
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
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Organisations indicated to be
constantly communicating and
keeping their staff regularly
informed about the latest
updates and guidance.
Most organisations have not
yet considered the tax and
regulatory implications of
moving people to alternative
locations.
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Responses to various initiatives
77%
83%
65%
62%
45%
94%
92%
97%
97%
91%
86%
23%
17%
35%
38%
55%
6%
8%
3%
3%
9%
14%
K
J
I
H
G
F
E
D
C
B
A
Sta
tem
en
t TRUE
FALSE
Figure 7: Responses to various initiatives
Effects on compensation
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Non executive directors
28%
63%
Non-Executive directors’ pay-cuts
YES
NO
Respondents whose non-executive directors have
or have not taken or proposed to take a cut on their
fees and allowances.
Actual percentage cut taken or proposed to be taken by non-
executive on their fees and allowances.
Figure 8: Non-Executive directors’ pay-cuts Figure 9: Pay-cuts by Non-Executive directors in percentage
0%
1%
1%
1%
1%
3%
4%
4%
5%
7%
81-90%
51-60%
61-70%
71-80%
91-100%
0-10%
11-20%
41-50%
31-40%
21-30%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Cu
t
Respondents
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7%
21%
14%
5%
9%
4%
6%
1%
6%
27%
16%
4%
10%
8%
18%
5%
1%
21%
6%
10%
Manufacturing
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel and tours, Clubs, Game parks etc)
Professional Services
Banking
Insurance
Agriculture
Trade
Non-Governmental Organisation
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/Telecommunications
Other
Non-Executive directors’ pay-cuts per sector
NO YES
Respondents whose non-executive directors have or have not taken or proposed to take a cut on
their fees and allowances by sectors
Figure 10: Non-Executive directors’ pay -cuts per sector
PwC 31
Sector0-10%
11-
20%21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%
Base Total 3% 4% 7% 5% 4% 1% 1% 1% 0% 1%
Manufacturing 0% 0% 10% 10% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel and
tours, Clubs, Game parks etc.)0% 38% 20% 29% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100%
Professional Services 0% 25% 10% 14% 20% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0%
Banking 0% 0% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Insurance 0% 19% 10% 0% 20% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Agriculture 0% 0% 10% 5% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Trade 8% 0% 0% 14% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Non-Governmental Organisation 8% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/Tel
ecommunications25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 75% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Other 58% 19% 20% 29% 20% 0% 100% 50% 0% 0%
Non-executive directors’ actual or proposed percentage cuts on fees and allowances by sectors
for respondents who answered YES
Table 6: Non-Executive directors’ actual/proposed pay-cuts per sector
The Hospitality Industry has been hardest hit as well as the “other”. The “other” sector consists of private schools, family owned
businesses, and other small medium size organisations carrying out business in a number of sectors. The owners/ board directors have
taken the salary cuts to enable their businesses survive the pandemic.
The base total in the table below is the actual total response from respondents broken down vertically into various sectors (may not add up
to exactly 100% because of rounding off effect)
PwC
Respondents whose executive directors have or
have not taken or proposed to take a cut on their
salary and allowances.
32
Executive directors pay cuts
33%
58%
YES NO 0%
1%
1%
2%
3%
3%
4%
4%
6%
7%
81-90%
61-70%
71-80%
51-60%
41-50%
91-100%
0-10%
11-20%
31-40%
21-30%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Cu
t
The actual percentage cut taken or proposed to be taken by
executive directors on their salary and allowances.
Figure 11: Executive directors’ pay-cuts Figure 12: Percentage pay-cuts by Executive directors
PwC
Respondents whose executive directors have or have not taken or proposed to take a cut on their
salary and allowances by sectors
33
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Manufacturing
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel and tours, Clubs, Game parks etc)
Professional Services
Banking
Insurance
Agriculture
Trade
Non-Governmental Organisation
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/Telecommunications
Other
Executive directors’ pay-cuts per sector
NO YES
Figure 13: Executive directors’ pay-cuts per sector
The hospitality sector and the “others” most of who are family owned businesses taking most of the salary cuts at executive director level.
PwC
Executive directors’ actual or proposed percentage cuts to be taken by sectors for those
respondents who answered YES
34
Sector 0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90%91-
100%
Base Total 4% 4% 7% 6% 3% 2% 1% 1% 0% 3%
Manufacturing 0% 17% 17% 0% 23% 0% 0% 0% 0% 17%
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel
and tours, Clubs, Game parks
etc.)
0% 33% 20% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 75%
Professional Services 0% 0% 20% 25% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Banking 0% 0% 10% 13% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Insurance 20% 33% 10% 0% 54% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Agriculture 0% 0% 10% 0% 0% 0% 17% 0% 0% 0%
Trade 0% 0% 0% 17% 0% 22% 17% 0% 0% 0%
Non-Governmental
Organisation40% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/
Telecommunications20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Other 20% 17% 13% 21% 23% 11% 67% 100% 0% 8%
Table 7: Executive directors’ actual/proposed pay-cuts per sector
The base total in the table below is the actual total response from respondents broken down vertically into various sectors (may not add up to exactly 100% because of rounding off effect)
PwC 35
Managers
31%
69%
Managers’ pay-cuts
YES
NO
0%
0%
1%
1%
1%
2%
2%
5%
7%
8%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10%
71-80%
81-90%
51-60%
61-70%
91-100%
0-10%
41-50%
11-20%
31-40%
21-30%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Cu
t
Managers’ percentage pay-cuts
Respondents whose managers have or have not
taken or proposed to take a cut on their salary and
allowances.
Actual percentage cut taken or proposed to be taken by
managers on their salary and allowances.
Figure 14: Managers’ pay-cuts Figure 15: Managers’ percentage pay-cuts
PwC 36
28%
4%
29%
13%
3%
12%
4%
5%
3%
3%
24%
63%
18%
0%
10%
9%
16%
5%
2%
20%
8%
12%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Base Total
Manufacturing
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel and tours, Clubs, Game parks etc)
Professional Services
Banking
Insurance
Agriculture
Trade
Non-Governmental Organisation
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/Telecommunications
Other
Se
cto
rs
Managers’ pay-cuts per sector
NO YES
Respondents whose managers have or have not taken or proposed to take a cut on their salary
and allowances by sectors
Figure 16: Managers’ pay-cuts per sector
PwC 37
Managers
Sector 0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%
Base Total 2% 5% 8% 7% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0% 1%
Manufacturing 0% 0% 10% 7% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel
and tours, Clubs, Game
parks etc.)
0% 29% 19% 33% 33% 50% 0% 0% 0% 100%
Professional Services 0% 29% 10% 22% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Banking 0% 0% 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Insurance 33% 29% 13% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Agriculture 0% 0% 10% 4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Trade 0% 0% 3% 11% 22% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Non-Governmental
Organisation33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas
/Telecommunications0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Other 33% 14% 26% 22% 44% 0% 100% 0% 0% 0%
Actual or proposed percentage cuts to be taken by sectors for those respondents who answered YES
Table 8: Managers’ actual/proposed pay-cuts per sector
The base total in the table below is the actual total response from respondents broken down vertically into various sectors (may not add up
to exactly 100% because of rounding off effect)
PwC 38
Other staff
20%
71%
Other staff’ pay-cuts
YES NO 0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
1%
2%
3%
5%
6%
51-60%
61-70%
81-90%
41-50%
71-80%
91-100%
31-40%
0-10%
21-30%
11-20%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Cu
t
Other staff’ pay-cuts by percentage
Respondents whose other general staff have or
have not taken or proposed to take a cut on
their salary and allowances.
Actual percentage cut taken or proposed to be taken
by other general staff on their salary and allowances.
Figure 17: Other staff’ pay-cuts Figure 18: Other staff’ pay-cuts by percentage
PwC 39
20%
6%
33%
17%
0%
4%
5%
6%
0%
0%
28%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Base Total
Manufacturing
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel and tours, Clubs, Game parks…
Professional Services
Banking
Insurance
Agriculture
Trade
Non-Governmental Organisation
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/Telecommunications
Other
SE
CT
OR
S
Other staff’ pay-cuts per sector
NO
YES
Respondents whose other general staff have or have not taken or proposed to take a cut on their
salary and allowances by sectors
Figure 19: Other staff’ pay-cuts per sector
PwC 40
Other staff
Sector 0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%
Base Total 3% 6% 5% 2% 1% 0% 0% 1% 0% 1%
Manufacturing 0% 13% 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel
and tours, Clubs, Game parks
etc.)
0% 25% 57% 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100%
Professional Services 25% 25% 10% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Banking 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Insurance 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Agriculture 0% 0% 14% 11% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Trade 0% 8% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Non-Governmental
Organisation0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Construction/Energy/Oil&Gas/
Telecommunications0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Other 50% 29% 10% 22% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0%
Other general staff’ actual or proposed percentage cuts to be taken by sectors for those respondents who answered
YES
Table 9: Other staff’ actual/proposed pay-cuts per sector
The base total in the table below is the actual total response from respondents broken down vertically into various sectors (may not add up
to exactly 100% because of rounding off effect)
PwC
➢ Employer must analyze the best method to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
➢ Communicate to employees the intentions and the reasons that have caused this action. Be transparent
➢ Consult with labour Unions if you have unionized staff and employees
➢ Obtain a written consent from staff and issue them with a letter that they can use to explain their new circumstances to interested parties
such as the banks
➢ Effect the changes and review the situation.
41
Adjusting terms of employment
The following process should be followed when instituting salary cuts or adjusting any other terms
of employment
Employee Engagement
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
PwC
In this section respondents were
tasked to rank what mattered the
most to them while working from
home during this Covid-19 period.
Respondents were asked to rank the
following choices;
• Good Wi-Fi connection provided
by the company;
• Work life balance; and
• Regular check ins by my
manager (at least once a week).
Good Wi-Fi provided by an employer
tops the list of the most important
things that matter when working from
home.
43
Take action to
protect the
position
Continuously
reassess
your
approach
COVID-19 Survey -Kenya
Figure 20: Responses to important issues in percentage
Responses to various measures
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
PwC
Organisations were asked whether
they would still prefer their workforce
to continue working from home after
the COVID-19 Pandemic.
55% of Organisations would not like
their staff to continue working from
home post the pandemic. Reasons
here could be that certain roles may
not be performed while at home, but
also enabling systems may not be in
place to facilitate working from home.
The Insurance, Infrastructure and the
professional services would like their
staff to continue working from home.
44
Take action to
protect the
position
Continuously
reassess
your
approach
COVID-19 Survey -Kenya
Responses to various measures
25% 27%
69%
57%
79%
10%
72%
22%
39%
75% 73%
31%
43%
21%
90%
28%
78%
61%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Ma
nu
factu
ring
Tou
rism
(H
ospita
lity, T
rave
l a
nd
tours
, C
lubs, G
am
e p
ark
s e
tc)
Pro
fessio
na
l S
erv
ices
Ba
nkin
g
Insura
nce
Ag
ricultu
re %
Co
nstr
uctio
n
Infr
astr
uctu
re (
En
erg
y &
tele
co
mm
un
ica
ton
s)
Non-G
overn
menta
l O
rganis
ation
Oth
er
Working at Home or not after COVID 19?
Yes 45% NO 55%
Figure 21: Responses per sector in percentage about working from home after covid-19
COVID-19 - Managing your cashpressures
PwC
Organisations were asked to
rate the government’s directive
on covid-19.
Respondents could only
choose a single response for
each choice.
55% of Organisations rated the
government directives towards
the Covid-19 pandemic
favourably.
45
Take action to
protect the
position
Continuously
reassess
your
approach
COVID-19 Survey -Kenya
Responses rating various measures taken
by the government
9%
18%
18%
55%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
0-40%
80-100%
40-60%
60-80%
Ra
tin
g
Figure 22: Responses in percentage rating various measures taken by the government
Challenges of working from home
PwC
Employers in the agricultural sector cited the following as their main
deterrents during this covid-19 pandemic;
➢ 50% of the employers cited internet connectivity as a main
issue. This is mainly an issue with the service providers shaping
their bandwidth to meet increased global demand.
Other issues affecting employers include;
➢ Maintaining clear and consistent communications with teams.
➢ Power black outs.
➢ Difficulty in monitoring how much time employees put on actual
work.
On the other hand employees cited the following challenges while
working from home;
➢ Their own discipline in accommodating the regime of working
from home.
➢ Lack of or insufficient data bundles.
➢ Poor infrastructure.
➢ Non-conducive working environment at home.
➢ Time management especially for employees with school going
children who have to multi-task between work and attending to
the children needs.
47
Agricultural sector
PwC
In the banking sector the following issues were cited by employers;
➢ 62.5% of the respondents cited productivity as a main issue,
this includes; Low productivity and challenges in monitoring and
maintaining productivity.
➢ Delay in feedback or response to issues escalated to
colleagues.
➢ Power outages in some areas.
➢ Too many meetings.
➢ Lack of initiative and self drive by employees.
➢ High use of virtual private network (VPN) requiring additional
bandwidth.
➢ Lack of control on work output.
➢ System access risks and cyber security considerations.
➢ Nature of work not being suitable for work from home in some
cases.
On the other hand employees in this sector cited the following
challenges while working at home;
➢ 37.5% cited poor connectivity especially during online meetings
and conference calls.
➢ 25% cited work-life balance disruptions.
➢ Lack of data bundles.
➢ Poor infrastructure.
➢ Non-conducive work environment.
➢ Customers failure to repay their loans.
➢ Fear of potential redundancies.
➢ Reduced support from line managers.
48
Banking Sector
PwC
Employers in the energy sector are encountering the following
challenges as their employees work from home;
➢ Unstable internet access for some staff.
➢ Technology challenges for the older staff.
➢ Some employees don't have the requisite discipline to work
from home and are thus unable to complete on time
assignments given.
Employees on the other hand are facing the following challenges;
➢ Interruptions especially for employees with young children.
➢ Non-conducive work environment.
49
Energy Sector
PwC
Employees in the insurance sector are facing the following challenges as they
work from home;
➢ 53% of the employees cited connectivity issues ranging from access to
internet, slow connectivity, internet instability and down time.
➢ 24% cited power outages since majority of them do not have back up
generators.
➢ Lack of appropriate working furniture causing back problems.
➢ Lack of working tools such as computers.
➢ Long working hours.
➢ Poor eating habits.
➢ Disrupted VPN.
➢ Poor communication causing delays.
➢ Inadequate physical exercises.
➢ Mental health issues.
➢ Feeling disconnected from their colleagues.
➢ Lack of electronic document management system especially where
handling of physical files is involved.
➢ Work-life balance especially for those with children.
➢ Pressure to deliver remotely.
➢ Anxiety as to what is happening out there.
➢ Delays in IT Support.
➢ Inadequate working space.
Employers in this sector cited the following challenges as a result of the new
norm of working from home;
➢ Monitoring of productivity and performance was cited as a challenge by
most employers.
➢ Power outages since majority of them do not have back up generators.
➢ Uncertainty of the safety of employees.
➢ Poor internet connectivity.
➢ Lack of people to talk to.
➢ Back problems .
➢ Non-core system functioning is limited.
➢ High cost incurred in purchasing equipment (laptops) and internet
connections.
➢ Poor quality of work.
➢ Mental health issues.
➢ Managing the movement of those required to be in the office.
➢ Not being able to meet with clients causing a negative effect on the
customer facing/business development teams.
➢ Random meetings can rarely be held.
➢ Delays in communication.
➢ Separation of personal time from official time.
➢ Employees not meeting targets because of home interferences.
50
Insurance Sector
PwC
Most of the manufacturing sector industries are still operational as
they try to observe the safety measures put in place by the
government. The few industries or departments working from home
have had employers encounter the following challenges;
➢ The regular weekly, monthly and scheduled communication
meetings can not be held.
➢ Network access challenges.
➢ The social aspect and social activities have been curtailed.
➢ Approvals have stalled; some hard copy documents have to be
signed physically and stamped.
➢ IT hardware damage for example broken laptops.
➢ Inadequate tracking of productivity and performance
management.
➢ Lack of accountability.
➢ Poor performance.
➢ Concern on physical and mental well-being of their employees.
➢ Expensive infrastructure including the software required to
monitor and follow up employees.
The employees in this sector on the other hand are experiencing
the following challenges;
➢ They feel detached from their fellow colleagues.
➢ Disruptions in the house while working from home. This maybe
from the kids, television and music systems.
➢ Missing out on important communications.
➢ Inability to consult with fellow colleagues.
➢ Burnout.
➢ Boredom.
➢ Internet connectivity issues.
➢ General anxiety of the impact of COVID-19 on employees’
lives.
➢ Inappropriate and inadequate physical work-space.
➢ Challenge of keeping a regular work schedule.
➢ Internet connectivity issues ranging from lack of internet
connectivity to unstable internet connectivity.
➢ Lack of proper infrastructure including proper work stations,
printers and scanners.
➢ Time consuming approvals for hard copy documents and
payments.
The nature of business in this sector means inconveniences to
working from home because some parameters are physically
inspected.51
Manufacturing Sector
PwC
Employers in this sector have faced the following challenges;
➢ The agreed upon workplans can not be implemented, thus
affecting output- for some employees it not clear what is
expected of them during this period.
➢ Unreliable internet connections.
➢ Plans to identify redundancies have faced a lot of opposition
from staff.
➢ Timely processing of documents that need uploading.
➢ Effectively integrating work and homeschooling responsibilities
during this period of working from home.
➢ Long working hours.
➢ Monitoring productivity and performance has become a
challenge.
➢ Employees compliance to Ministry of Health guidelines.
➢ Handling operational activities has become a challenge.
➢ Team check-ins procedures have become a challenge to
employees.
➢ Power cuts and outages.
➢ Work-life balance challenges.
➢ Unconducive working environments that include constant
distractions and interruptions.
➢ Sticking to work schedules.
➢ Increased expenditure on airtime, data and purchase of
laptops.
➢ Low productivity and deviation of goals.
➢ late submission of reports.
➢ Inadequate infrastructure such as laptops to facilitate working
from home.
➢ All field activities have been suspended.
➢ Donors are reluctant to enter into new contracts.
➢ Some jobs cannot be done from home.
➢ Delays in some essential processes.
➢ Absence of key government services.
➢ Absence of key partners on the ground on a regular basis.
➢ Mental health challenges such as fear and anxiety.
52
Non-Governmental Organisations
PwC
Employees on the other hand are having following challenges;
➢ Wellbeing related issues.
➢ Poor furniture infrastructure such as desks and chairs.
➢ Mental stress especially for those who are not able to cover
their time and are forced to take leave to just sit in the house.
➢ IT challenges and slow connectivity.
➢ Some jobs require physical presence at work.
➢ Too many online meetings.
➢ Work-life balance and integration.
➢ Working long hours.
➢ Electricity cuts/power outages.
➢ Some employees are locked out of their homes (out of Nairobi)
after movement in and out of certain counties was restricted.
➢ Increased airtime expenditure on purchase of internet bundles.
➢ Challenges in making quick adjustments to working remotely.
➢ Unconducive working environment that includes constant
distractions and interruptions.
➢ Challenges in prompt access and response to communication.
➢ Loneliness and need to interact with colleagues.
➢ Less cooperation from colleagues and the management.
➢ Difficulty in accessing files that are in the office.
➢ Uncertainty on future decisions.
➢ Low concentration.
➢ Inadequate office facilities.
➢ Lack of designated working areas.
53
Non-Governmental Organisations
PwC
Employers in this sector are facing the following challenges;
➢ Connectivity challenges.
➢ Power outages by their employees.
➢ Measuring productivity.
➢ Some issues are taking long to be resolved.
On the other hand employees have cited the following challenges;
➢ Low concentration resulting from the many demands at home.
➢ Connectivity challenges.
➢ Power outages at home.
➢ Work life balance.
54
Oil and Gas Sector
PwC
Employers in the professional services sector are facing the
following challenges;
➢ Challenge on accountability of work/assignments completed.
➢ Limited access to client/customer locations.
➢ Low staff utilization.
➢ Keeping staff engaged and working together as a team (team
cohesion).
➢ Uncertainty on whether employees are able to balance the
time they need to spend on work and also take rest and health
breaks.
➢ Power outages.
➢ Inadequate laptops.
➢ Productivity concerns.
➢ Supervision and monitoring of performance has become a
challenge.
➢ Data interference.
➢ Deadline adherence.
Employees in this sector are facing the following challenges;
➢ Occasional connectivity issues.
➢ Disruptions especially for employees with young children.
➢ Loss of face to face discussions with colleagues and clients.
➢ Lack of appropriate furniture.
➢ Insufficient computers or laptops.
➢ Power outages.
➢ Not having access to hard copy files or library books.
➢ Lack of internet bundles.
➢ Increased cost of internet and telephony.
Worth noting is that one organization cited an increase in
production from 10 to 20% as most of the transit time is now spent
on work output.
55
Professional Services Sector
PwC
Employers in the much affected tourism industry are experiencing
the following challenges;
➢ Complains of poor internet connectivity.
➢ Power outages.
➢ Lengthy turnaround periods for assigned duties.
➢ Tracking actual output for the team, measuring actual
performance for virtual teams.
➢ Ensuring that teams are engaged.
➢ Ensuring that work environment is conducive (home
environment).
➢ Monitoring productivity has been a challenge since employers
do not have remote means of identifying productivity.
Employees on the other hand face the following challenges while
working from home;
➢ Unreliable internet connectivity.
➢ Low concentration spans.
➢ Distraction by family members as the line between working
time and family time is very thin and blurred.
➢ Lack of Wi-Fi connections and bundles depleting really fast.
➢ Work life balance.
➢ Affordability of internet connectivity.
➢ Longer working hours as opposed to while working from the
office.
56
Tourism (Hospitality, Travel and tours, Clubs, Game parks etc.)
PwC
In the trade sector employers are facing the following challenges;
➢ Reduced efficiency as a result of reduced control on output.
➢ Inability to focus on the job due to interruptions.
➢ Internet instability and fluctuations.
➢ Limited movement.
On the other hand employees are facing the following challenges;
➢ Power Outages.
➢ Increased expenditure on purchasing internet bundles.
➢ Inability to focus on the job due to interruptions.
➢ Internet instability and fluctuations.
➢ Limited movement.
57
Trade
PwC
Employers in this category face the following challenges;
➢ Reduced efficiency.
➢ Lack of accountability.
➢ Power outage.
➢ Some employees have been rendered partially redundant as
their jobs require extensive travel within the region.
➢ Not everyone has the ability to work from home as many
operational roles still need to function from the office.
➢ A drop in productivity and quality of services rendered.
➢ Difficulty in coordinating cross-functional activities.
➢ Limited movement especially for aspects of business that
require constant engagement and physical visits.
➢ Disruptions especially from young children of an age range of 4
months to 5 years, loud music and neighbours.
➢ A challenge in work supervision and monitoring.
➢ A challenge on keeping employees motivated to deliver.
➢ A challenge with vendors who have not yet adapted to the
changing times.
➢ A challenge in work life balance.
➢ Managing work productivity especially for very administrative
role. Time sheets clock-ins are being implemented to improve
on this.
➢ Poor internet Infrastructure .
➢ Lack of human touch.
➢ Culture change.
➢ Reduction in productivity.
➢ Increased cost of connectivity.
➢ Some projects need a quick turn around which may not fully
achievable during this period.
58
Others
PwC
Employees in this sector face the following challenges;
➢ Power outage.
➢ Unreliable internet connectivity especially those with no home
Wi-Fi and are required to hotspot/tether.
➢ Disruptions especially from young children of an age range of 4
months to 5 years, loud music and neighbours.
➢ The sales force teams face challenges in reaching the key
stakeholders.
➢ Marketing and promotional activities (brand awareness) are on
a halt.
➢ Isolation and loneliness of employees.
➢ Minimal access to information on the critical issues.
➢ Low concentration and response time.
➢ Poor internet infrastructure.
➢ Work life balance.
➢ Remaining motivated to work.
➢ Team work ha greatly reduced
➢ Establishing suitable routines that work.
➢ Uncertainty of how long it will take for things to get back to
normal.
➢ Fatigue from the fast paced changes and implementations
expected of the employees to adapt to.
➢ Longer working hours.
59
Others
Preparing to return to work
PwC
The world has changed. The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
has seen to that. Safeguarding and stabilising operations,
liquidity, people, supply chains and markets has been the
overwhelming first priority. Now, companies must start
thinking strategically about how they will adapt as the
pandemic and markets evolve.
As well as affecting countless lives, COVID-19 has
unleashed a devastating blow to the global economy,
disrupting supply chains while choking off demand.
Even for those who feel able to predict the passing of the
storm, counting on a quick return to business as usual is not
a viable strategy. The shock of the pandemic on previous
assumptions and future behaviour can’t be ignored even if
there is a sharp V-shaped recovery. A slower U-shaped
recovery or a longer L-shaped recession will have even
more profound implications. Whatever the path forward, the
world will be different and companies need to plan for a new
normal.
61
Returning to work
Accelerate new ways of working, automation and digitalisation
➢ The experience of COVID-19 will almost certainly accelerate
momentum towards new ways of working, automation and
digitalisation.
➢ Companies that are further along the curve in digitising their
operations have already benefited from greater built-in resiliency
during the crisis, reducing dependence on human resources.
➢ Greater investments in these areas will equip companies to
maintain better business continuity in their supply chains,
operations and customer management, reducing the load on their
workforces.
➢ Technological transformation will also have been given a boost by
the experience of virtualisation and new ways of working by staff
during the pandemic lockdown.
➢ It is likely to accelerate the move to a more mobile workforce, able
to work virtually and at distance.
➢ Companies will want to consider what worked well during the
crisis and look at the opportunities for future workforce productivity
and flexibility.
Organisations should take affirmative steps to implement the various public health
initiatives in preparation of offices opening
• Workplace health and safety laws (Occupational healthy and safety Act 2007
(OSHA) impose a duty of care on organisations conducting a business
undertaking to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety so far as is
reasonably practicable
• This duty of care extends to all aspects of an organisation’s workplace and
applies to employees, contractors, and members of the public affected by the
organisation’s undertaking (including through products or services provided by
the organisation).It is the duty of the employer to provide personal protective
equipments (PPEs) for their staff. Determine the process of providing these.
E.g. masks.
• Determine if your office space will cater for social distancing.
• For workers that are at increased risk from contact with suspected or confirmed
cases of COVID-19 (e.g. the primary care and aligned health industries);
additional infection prevention and control practices should be implemented
using best practice recommendations of applicable industry bodies.
PwC 62
Return to work suggestions
Contacts
© 2020 PwC. All rights reserved.
In this document, “PwC” refers to PwC Kenya, which is a
member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International
Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal
entity
Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
Steve Okello
Partner and Head of Tax,
EMA
Direct:+254 (20) 2855116
Jane Kithela
Senior Manager People
Effectiveness, Kenya
Direct: +254 (20) 2855645