Devan Moonsamy 

This week South Africa celebrates Freedom Day. It is on this day that South Africa held its first non-racial democratic elections. In light of this week being a time of commemorating and celebrating, freedom let us look at employee freedom in the work place. 

The work environment still has a lot of staff feeling policed. This implies that their actions, task completion and deadlines are being watched by micromanagers. Micromanagement can be the leading cause for staff feeling the lack of creative and intellectual freedom in the workplace. 

The lack of creative and intellectual freedom in the workplace can be the reason for staff feeling deflated and demotivated when it comes to participation. If employees are made to feel that an out of the box thinking or intellectual knowledge is not valued, staff will not feel like giving their best at work. 

This needs to change. Businesses need to ensure management are trained and able to make the workplace more acceptable to employee freedom. This means management should be ready to embrace new ideas and concepts around the workplace that come from employees. 

Here’s how encouraging more employee freedom can boost your business: 

  • Start by improving the freedom of allowing employees to start their own projects. Staff members can forge a positive bond over an important project that is being headed by them. Things like support groups at the office, party committees and even learnership or study support groups can be a great way to get staff to indulge in their creative freedom. 
  • Give employees the opportunity to choose their working hours. Instead of senior management setting staff to choose the hours, rather get them to pick which starting and ending time works for them. Being flexible to staff start and finish times can encourage their engagement. As long as staff are putting in the necessary hours needed in the day, based on the type of work you are in, setting their own hours would be the biggest employee freedom a business can get a jump on. 
  • Shake up your work culture. There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to things like staff discounts, training and even a chance to work offsite on projects. Infact working from home dished the largest slice of employee freedom with staff being allowed to work from home during Covid-19. Now that normalcy is being established these channels are receiving the red light instead of continuing to be an option. Employee freedom also means trusting that staff will do what they need to and meet their deadlines regardless of whether they are working from the office or at hotel in the Maldives. 
  • Have regular check in sessions with your staff. It will do great to get feedback from them on things around the office. Companies usually pride themselves on getting information from customers around aspects that need improvement in the business. Getting feedback from staff as well can have a major impact on the way in which things are done. Whether it’s around operations or even how you put together feedback reports, never ignore any encouragement from a staff member on how to improve the way things are done. This will also encourage their engagement and interest in the wellness of the business. 

Employee freedom goes a long way in getting staff to enjoy the work environment. By actively listening to the employees needs and allowing the freedom of work based on trust can result in the organisation leaning towards a profitable business based on the commitment from staff. 

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African Corporate Training Provider & National Learning Institute. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com