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High member response to one of the Chamber’s popular workshops, Managing Employee Absenteeism which is facilitated by industrial relations practitioner Kenneth Dalip, points to recognition that employee absenteeism is an area of concern that may have been neglected or ignored for a long time but which now requires the attention of management because of its importance to the economic well-being of the organization.

Employee absence from work is usually part of terms and conditions of employment in Trinidad and Tobago. It is embedded in the existing Minimum Wages Order in the form of vacation leave and sick leave and it is a normal part of Collective Agreements and individual contracts of employment. These provisions are generally accepted as good employment practice.  If this is so, then why should employers – and employees – be concerned about employee absenteeism?

To answer this question we may have to explore the difference between employee absence from work and employee absenteeism, the difference between eligibility and entitlement to different types leave,  their use and the abuse of, acceptable and unacceptable levels of employee absenteeism and responsible behaviour towards the use of employee benefits, such as sick leave and personal leave.

In many workplaces there is a prevailing culture where eligibility to sick and casual leave is interpreted as entitlement to them, and the allocations are deliberately exhausted as a ‘right’.  The abuse and misuse of such leaves are complex matters that require creative approaches and judicious application of both incentive and discipline, and cases must be assessed on an individual basis, using the guidelines of the Industrial Court.

It is necessary for companies to assist in changing the culture of workplaces, so that employees shift focus from being absent from work to attending work regularly and punctually and being productive when they are at work. Employees on the other hand, should be continually assessing the value they add to the organization and challenging themselves to increase their contribution, otherwise they may run the risk of becoming irrelevant or even obsolete. It is imperative, therefore, that this country immediately embarks on an employee productivity drive.

In order to gain and maintain the edge in today’s globalised marketplace, it is crucial that our competitiveness be increased.  In successive World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Indices “Poor work ethic in the national labour force” was cited as a problematic factor for doing business locally.

Employee productivity is one area which the Chamber has been advocating as a key determinant in the thrust to making our enterprises more competitive locally, regionally and internationally. When an employee is absent from work, his or her productivity is zero. The cost of that employee continues while replacement costs may also be incurred. Employee morale could suffer and operational efficiency reduced. The cumulative impact on the enterprise over an extended period could be deleterious and in some cases disastrous. The end result could be loss of market share, both local and international, with consequential reduction of employment opportunities.

The Chamber had championed the call for the establishment of a multi-partite National Productivity Council, which was eventually established in 2009.  Whilst the Council had several responsibilities, key among them was promoting and developing greater productivity, as well as quality awareness and consciousness of the people of T&T.  It was also charged with inculcating new values and attitudes in the country regarding productivity, quality and competitiveness. The Council was short-lived, although several of its aims have been subsumed by other arms as set up by the present Government.

The Chamber believes that increased national productivity is a key success factor in this country’s goal to increase competitiveness. The global economic environment demands no less.

With a Mission “To educate stakeholders on and promote the value of Facilities Management, advocate the enforcement of appropriate legislations and standards and create linkages with practitioners of the Facilities Management Industry” the Committee organized the first Facilities Management and Maintenance Conference. The Conference, now in its 4^th year, has grown to become the Caribbean’s leading and largest FM industry conference, and has made a significant contribution to efforts to enhance FM in Trinidad and Tobago.  As this year’s conference draws near, it seems fitting that we explore how FM has evolved, continues to develop in the region and how the Chamber is working to further advance the industry through our upcoming conference.

Largely forgotten, misunderstood or unacknowledged FM is an industry that touches the lives of everyone in the country, directly or indirectly. Whether we realize it or not, FM impacts everything from the condition of our public spaces and national treasures to the spaces we occupy daily at work and our ability to operate effectively and comfortably within them.

Although this country’s FM industry is still far from meeting international standards of practice, there is something to be said about how far we have come in a relatively short period of time. Just some twenty years ago, most local organizations’ understanding of FM fell within a very limited scope which only covered cleaning, security, maintenance and grounds keeping/landscaping.  Those jobs were not considered mission critical to an organization’s business operations. Almost afterthoughts for most organizations, these positions were typically staffed internally and with little consideration for how they impacted the greater functionality of the organization.

In order to fully acknowledge the value of the ever-evolving FM industry in T&T, we must first understand that FM is not a “bucket and mop” business nor does it strictly deal with the operations and maintenance of a building. It deals with the integration of multiple processes to develop and maintain services that support and improve the effectiveness of an organization’s activities. Within the built environment, these processes have a direct impact on the people, their workplace and their ability to function safely, comfortably, continuously and productively. The importance of that function has been long accepted in developed countries across the world, but locally, we have been slow to accept the value of the Facilities Manager’s role. Our understanding and acceptance of facilities management is still evolving as the FM industry continues to expand and develop on the local scene.

Within the last ten years though, there has been a slow yet steady shift in the way leaders have begun to view the function/role of facilities management within their own organizations. They started realizing the intrinsic value that FM contributes to the overall operations of an organization. Hence, appreciating not just the overall management and maintenance of physical assets (i.e. building, plant, machinery, equipment, etc) over time, but equally important – its people and its environment. Consequently, more facilities management and maintenance service companies began and continue to open and operate in this market. As such, the role of the facilities manager became more prominent locally, and organizations started considering the benefits associated with outsourcing facilities management and maintenance functions out to specialized service providers.

With the shift in organizational culture to hire proven, quality service providers to handle FM functions, there has also been a shift in the understanding of what duties fell within the scope of facilities management and maintenance. That understanding broadened considerably from the aforementioned “traditional” engineering, cleaning and maintenance roles to include more duties that had direct impact on the people and their work environment. Some of these include project management, help desk services, space planning, moving and relocation services, information and communications technology (ICT), fire and safety, energy and waste management, environmental stewardship, mail delivery and fleet services to name a few.

The accepted scope of FM professionals continues to expand and we are advancing considerably in terms of institutional attitudes about what these professionals do and how they can meet an organization’s needs by embracing far more budget conscious, sustainable focused ways of managing and maintaining the critical assets (people and place) of an organization.

This year’s Conference, themed  “Enhancing Productivity…..Delivering Results,”  will address how facilities management and maintenance service providers and/or personnel can help those they serve increase employee productivity while, simultaneously lowering operating costs by making the link between buildings, workplace environments and overall organizational performance. Making that connection, for all involved FM professionals and the organizations they serve, will be the impetus for our local FM industry to take another step towards meeting international standards of practice. We have come very far over the past couple of decades, but still have considerably far to go to help our local organizations better compete on the world stage. The future looks exciting.

The Caribbean Facilities Management and Maintenance Conference and Expo 2013 will be held from May 15-16, 2013 at the Hilton Trinidad. Registration information is available online at http://chamber.org.tt/events/fmcexpo_/.

The Chamber believes that the war on crime must be fought on all fronts, utilising enforcement, legislation, the prompt administration of justice, good example and the social net.  This week, the Chamber wishes to highlight what we consider to be one fine example of the ‘softer’ side of crime-fighting, namely, the Police Youth Clubs.  The Chamber has been quite impressed with what we have seen, and we support the current Police Youth Club imitative as one of the links in the chain of organisations which mould the minds of the most vulnerable for recruitment by gangs or as victims of violence.

The Chamber is situated in the Western Division, which is served by the St. James Police Youth Club situated at 5, Sierra Leone Road, Petit Valley. The Chamber’s Crime and Justice Committee has taken a special interest in assisting its management to realise its Mission Statement, “To encourage the sustainable development of members; spiritually, socially, educationally, morally and to showcase the significance of co-operation, unity, togetherness and strength.” We take this opportunity to thank our membership, and the generous sections of the business community in the western region for the donation of goods and services towards making this statement a reality and this part of our country, less permeable by criminal elements.

The Club’s governance structure is typical and democratic. Its Management Board supervises, recommends and oversees all activities.  It assists in developing and incorporating them as part of an holistic approach to realising the Mission Statement. The Parent Council works in concert with the Manager and leadership of the Club, assists with fund-raising and seeks the welfare of the membership by providing expertise within the Club and looking after the general beautification and maintenance of its premises. The Youth Executive Body mandates full participation in the Club’s activities by the membership, decision-making, policies, rules and reports on the progress of all projects.

The Club’s founder and manager, Police Officer Derrick Sharbodie, M.O.M., a father of one, is fully equipped for this job, if one is to judge by his CV, which discloses training to handle a wide variety of issues, including  use of illegal drugs, victims and crime prevention. The numerous awards, commendations and decorations given to Officer Sharbodie and the club speaks volumes of the recognition given by diplomats, educators, the media, Government, Service Clubs and Local Governments, to the  dedication, hard work and leadership skills demonstrated,  and the positive impact that these and the members of this club are making.

The Club’s Centre houses eight young men between the ages of 12-18, considered to be socially disadvantaged and at-risk youth. They are enrolled in several programmes listed by the Family Court and Probation Department, the long term objectives of which are to prepare them for employment and reunite them with their functional families, using the Club as a stepping stone. They are supervised by Mr. Sharbodie and the Club’s Men’s Group. These residents are required to make a financial contribution to their upkeep only if they are gainfully employed.  They are encouraged to open and maintain savings accounts through Republic Bank’s Youth Link Programme.

The Club prides itself as having established the first ever Suspension Centre in the Western Division, where students who have been suspended from schools in the Division may productively occupy themselves during the period of suspension. They are counseled pro bono by behaviour change management consultant, Franklyn Dolly, and Moreena Campey, a clinical psychologist, with assistance from the Men’s Group.

Remedial classes in Mathematics, English and a homework club four afternoons per week after school hours, assists members with their homework assignments.

The Club’s 16-piece steel orchestra rehearses twice per week, with tassa and folk dancing once weekly.  Football training and judo are held once each week and classes in small appliance repair, garment construction, plumbing and computer impart skills to their students.

The Club, according to our information, is self-financed by donations, fundraisers such as its recent barbeque, and the limited subscriptions of those members who are in a position to do make them.  While the insecurity of a revenue stream must be of deep concern, the prudence of budgeting, self-reliance, value for money and saving are all lessons in maturity, independence and self-worth which, no book but personal experience only, can indelibly print on the minds of the future leaders of our country.

Perhaps it is possible to supplement revenues from appearances by the tassa, steel orchestras and dance troupes, by way of example.  In addition, the skills training could be valuable catalysts for small businesses and entrepreneurship.

This suggestion is by no means far-fetched for those who are not fortunate enough or inclined to the acquisition of a skill may resort, with the correct attitude and work ethic to employment, for example, in our fast-food sector wherein, a shortage of labour exists. Dane Darbasie, one of the Chamber’s former Directors and former Chamber President Christian Mouttet, two of the major players in the industry, have publicly confirmed this shortage recently.

What about recruitment into the Police Service or other branches of the protective services? In days gone by, those of us who were cadets, members of the Junior Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance Brigade and even, Boys Scouts, Girls Guides, Cubs and Brownies had eyes on careers or roles in medicine, nursing, care giving, service industries or, simply, good upright citizenry.

The Chamber commends the Police Service for bringing to reality the Youth Clubs, if only, as a solution restore public confidence in the Service, to manifest another facet of policing and reach out to those most vulnerable to criminal distraction. We express our appreciation to all who work very hard to make them a successful investment in the future of Trinidad and Tobago. We urge Government to resist spoiling their administration with only direct handouts and public sector bureaucracy. By all means, encourage and mentor their 60 clubs locally.

The Chamber has read and seen the good work by teams of police officers in Siparia, St. Barbs, Central and Southern Divisions. They indicate that there is an abundance of talent, skill, value added and worth in our young people, just waiting to be marshalled and harvested. May this not be by the grim reaper of crime and gangsterism, but, by the rule of law and true freedom.

In order to fully acknowledge the value of the ever-evolving FM industry in Trinidad and Tobago, we must first understand that FM is not a “bucket and mop” business nor does it strictly deal with the operations and maintenance of a building. It deals with the integration of multiple processes to develop and maintain services that support and improve the effectiveness of an organization’s activities. Within the built environment, these processes have a direct impact on the people, their workplace and their ability to function safely, comfortably, continuously and productively. The importance of that function has been long accepted in developed countries across the world, but locally, we have been slow to accept the value of the Facilities Manager’s role. Our understanding and acceptance of facilities management is still evolving as the FM industry continues to expand and develop on the local scene.

Over the past few years, the Chamber, through its Facilities Management and Maintenance Committee, has done extensive work to raise the profile and help improve standards of practice within the local and regional FM industry.  The Chamber’s Caribbean Facilities Management Conference and Expo, which is now the Caribbean’s leading and largest FM industry conference, has made a significant contribution to that effort.  As this year’s conference draws near, it seems fitting that we explore how FM has evolved, continues to develop in the region and how the Chamber is working to further advance the industry through our upcoming conference.

Although Trinidad and Tobago’s FM industry is still far from meeting international standards of practice, there is something to be said about how far we have come in a relatively short period of time. Just some twenty years ago, most local organizations’ understanding of FM fell within a very limited scope which only covered cleaning, security, maintenance and grounds keeping/landscaping.  Those jobs were not considered mission critical to an organization’s business operations. Almost afterthoughts for most organizations, these positions were typically staffed internally and with little consideration for how they impacted the greater functionality of the organization.

Within the last ten years though, there has been a slow yet steady shift in the way leaders have begun to view the function/role of facilities management within their own organizations. They started realizing the intrinsic value that FM contributes to the overall operations of an organization. Hence, appreciating not just the overall management and maintenance of physical assets (i.e. building, plant, machinery, equipment, etc) over time, but equally important – its people and its environment. Consequently, more facilities management and maintenance service companies began and continue to open and operate in this market. As such, the role of the facilities manager became more prominent locally, and organizations started considering the benefits associated with outsourcing facilities management and maintenance functions out to specialized service providers.

With the shift in organizational culture to hire proven, quality service providers to handle FM functions, so too was there a shift in the understanding of what duties fell within the scope of facilities management and maintenance. That understanding broadened considerably from the aforementioned “traditional” engineering, cleaning and maintenance roles to include more duties that had direct impact on the people and their work environment. Some of these include project management, help desk services, space planning, moving and relocation services, information and communications technology (ICT), fire and safety, energy and waste management, environmental stewardship, mail delivery and fleet services to name a few.

The accepted scope of FM professionals continues to expand and we are advancing considerably in terms of institutional attitudes about what these professionals do and how they can meet an organization’s needs by embracing far more budget conscious, sustainable focused ways of managing and maintaining the critical assets (people and place) of an organization.  Hence, we have begun establishing a culture of facilities management locally; one that celebrates a strategic and integrated approach to caring for facilities and systems by organizational stakeholders and industry professionals alike.  As a result of this new-found enthusiasm about the function, facilities management and maintenance service providers and professionals throughout our nation are rising to the occasion to help their clients and/or organizations solve problems that are essential to ensuring their long term sustainability.

The Chamber’s Caribbean Facilities Management Conference and Expo has been key over the past five years in helping these professionals develop the skills needed to do just that. This year’s conference is no different.  Focused on “Enhancing Productivity…..Delivering Results,” it will address how facilities management and maintenance service providers and/or personnel can help those they serve increase employee productivity while, simultaneously lowering operating costs by making the link between buildings, workplace environments and overall organizational performance. Making that connection, for all involved -FM professionals and the organizations they serve, will be the impetus for our local FM industry to take another step towards meeting international standards of practice. That is an exciting prospect as we have come very far over the past couple of decades, but still have considerably far to go to help our local organizations better compete on the world stage.

The Caribbean Facilities Management and Maintenance Conference and Expo 2013 will be held from May 15-16, 2013 at the Hilton Trinidad. Registration information is available online at http://chamber.org.tt/events/fmcexpo_/

Given Guyana’s steady macroeconomic environment and continuous growth for the last seven years, the Chamber believes that this is an opportune time for the private sector in T&T to be made aware of the unique business prospects available and consider joint venture opportunities which can provide access to reduced cost inputs in production of goods and services.

T&T enjoys a healthy bilateral economic relationship with Guyana in sectors such as agriculture, education, energy and construction. Although the trade balance is in T&T’s favour due to energy exports, opportunities exist in other sectors of the Guyanese economy. Mandated by the Government of Guyana, Go Invest, the country’s primary investment promotion agency, seeks to attract investment and development in agriculture, seafood, forestry, manufacturing, tourism, ICT, mining and energy.

Guyana’s natural resources are vast and largely untapped, with extensive savannahs, productive land and forests, rich mineral deposits of gold, bauxite and diamonds, abundant water resources and 430 kilometres of Atlantic coastline. While recognized globally as a sugar and rice producer, much of its agricultural potential is yet to be realized, especially with fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. Its forestry potential is now beginning to be realized, particularly in value-added wood products. Its extensive network of rivers and Atlantic coastline provide ideal conditions for both seafood and aquaculture.  Additionally, its pristine environment, unspoiled rainforest and exotic fauna and natural attractions, make Guyana a highly attractive location for eco-and adventure tourism.

Guyana also offers its prospects via its unique geographic positioning and its socio-political heritage which places them at the gateway of South America and the Caribbean. On one hand, its Caribbean and English-speaking heritage enables Guyana to be part of CARICOM, while on the other, it is a South American country, bordering two of the continent’s most important economies – Brazil and Venezuela. As a result of its geographic proximity, Guyana has easy access to 277 million consumers.

Business operators will find a combination of regional, bilateral and preferential agreements. About 75% of Guyana’s exports enter destination markets duty free, with many others receiving duty-reduced access. This is achieved through Guyana’s membership of CARICOM, which provides duty-free access to the 15-nation market, CARICOM agreements with the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Venezuela, partial scope agreements with Brazil and Venezuela, and bilateral agreements with Argentina, China and Turkey. Both public and private sector leaders have declared Guyana ‘open for business’.

Investors from T&T will receive the same treatment as domestic investors. Guyana provides an array of across-the-board investment incentives, including a flat business tax rate, tax holidays, waivers of customs duties, export tax allowances, and unrestricted repatriation of profits, as well as additional incentives in priority export sectors.

As global competiveness places added pressure on businesses operating in T&T, Guyana provides a range of dynamic business prospects that can provide low cost solutions and new market opportunities.