The Effects of Staff Welfare Scheme on Employee Productivity

The Effects of Staff Welfare Scheme on Employee Productivity

Abstract of The Effects of Staff Welfare Scheme on Employee Productivity

The Nigerian Local Government system has been fraught with a lot of problems since its inception in the colonial days. This is informed due to the various reforms that has been carried out by successive governments both at colonial and post impendence era.

Despite these reform the Local Government has been characterized by low productivity corruption ineptitude and low morale to work. The Surulere Local Government Council is not an exception.

Motivation of staff is a pivot to productivity of nay organization. Therefore, it becomes necessary to motivate workers to enable them work assiduously towards the goals and objectives of the organization. Ovation may not necessary be monetary compensation but also favourable condition of service which may not be quantified in terms of monetary value for the staff.

During the research, it was observed that there is deficiency of studies on motivation and productivity in respect of Public Service organization. This shortage may be explained by the fact that Public Service has been viewed to be an organization that cannot be productive.

The propose of concentrating  on staff welfare scheme as a motivating tool for productivity in the Local Government is justified by the fact that a good staff welfare package would attract good caliber of workers to such organization thereby enhancing its productivity.

Chapter One of The Effects of Staff Welfare Scheme on Employee Productivity

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY    

Human resources is easily recognized as the most important of the resources required for the production of good and services. It is the key to rapid social economic development and efficient services delivery. Without adequately, skilled and well motivated work force operating within a sound human resources management programme, productivity will be slow and development not possible. A civil service that underrates this crucial role and underplays the importance of people in goal achievement can neither be effective nor productive (Ndiomu 1999:6).

It is a universally altruism that there is a correlation between motivated employee and productivity. It goes to say that organization with highly motivated manpower has the potentials for high productivity while organization with manpower that is de-motivated tends to affects its productivity. It is obvious, therefore that there can be no productivity without manpower with job satisfaction and development as motivating factors.

In other words job enrichment and enlargement in any organization are concerned with the quality of work life. This involves the provision of a conductive environment free from physical harm, adverse psychological effects stress, burnout, etc. Results therefore will depend on the establishment for the full development of people. Therefore there is an interface between the motivated employees and the salary fringe benefits and super annulations on the one hand and productivity has become necessary to enhance it, so that employees are encouraged to identify with and be committed to the objective of the organization. (Asieegbu 1991:148).

It is interesting to note that in the productive work force of any nation, those who have innate interest in the work they do and takes, pride in being able to do that work well and in a minimum amount of time, without urging from others to conduct themselves in an efficient manner are always very few.

Such employees constitute a very small proportion of the workforce of any organization. Therefore, the bulk of its employees must be induced to minimize avoidable delays to adhere to prescribed methods of work and maintain satisfactory pace (Mullins 1999:).

Since irrespective of its capital know how, an organization depends (for its success on its human resources. The more satisfied  the employees are and the more readily the organization identifies and satisfies the employees needs, the more willing the employees are to put in efforts that get the job done (Ajileye 1999: 153).

The need for good motivation package as a way of securing and retaining competent workers in the Civil service had always reflected in the reports of the various commission set up to update police: and practices of Public Service personnel in Nigeria (Harigis (1946) Gorsuch 1955, Mbanefo (1959) Morgan (1954) Elwood (1966) Adebo 91971) and Udoji (1974).

The relationship between organization and its member is governed by what motivates them to work and fulfilment they derive from it. The local government commission needs to know how best to elicit the cooperation of staff and direct their performance to achieving the goals and objective of the local government. The chairman must understand the nature of human behaviour and how best to motivate staff as that they can work willingly and effectively (Mullins Ibdi).

The productivity (efficiency) and effectiveness of civil Service personnel whether federal, State or local government has always been the subejct6 of discussion, particularly when comparing it with the private sector. Along this argument the Civil service has received more battered. This is not unconnected with the various reforms since 1976 till date. Every government has been concerned with the low performance of the local government personnel.

The essence of those reforms is to reduce absenteeism and tardiness, increase the quality of output reduce the occurrence of avoidable delays in achieving their set goals and objectives, reduce corruption amongst others. Therefore in achieving these laudable objectives more especially in the local government, the  present Obasanjo administration led reform (July, 2003) should consider the personnel below average performance level against the backdrop of other vital resources available to the local government personnel i.e office accommodation, materials and equipment especially technological support viz-a-viz social welfare scheme available to them.

It is not uncommon to find two senior management staff say grade level 13 officers sharing a small room so small that they would be breathing directly into each other’s noses. An expectation of high level of performance under such condition would be unattainable. The situation as regards the availability of materials and simple technological machines like the computer, telephones which could facilitate and enhances performance in even much more must not be neglected by the local Government Commission. The situation of housing and transportation in a city like Lagos is very hazardous and precarious. What effort has the local government management made to ameliorate the suffering of their staff in Lagos State.

Nevertheless, this research work is based on the Surulere Local Government personnel’s and the aspect of motivation which we seek to address is the non financial aspect. This is the provision of social welfare packages and fringe benefits as a pivot for productivity.