In mid 2020, Kenya Electrivity generating Company Plc (KenGen) contracted the services of Power Africa to help it develop a Covid-19 return-to-work strategy for its over 2500 employees.
Over the course of four weeks — from July 10 through August 7 — Power Africa surveyed over 1,500 KenGen employees and held virtual focus-group discussions with KenGen stakeholders, including the Electrical Trades and Allied Workers’ Union, KenGen clinicians, Pink Energy (the women-in-the-KenGen workforce program), Y-Gen (KenGen’s next-generation leadership program), KenGen’s remote working group, and family members of KenGen staff.
In a Power Africa-conducted survey, 85 percent of KenGen employees said they were concerned about the safety of their spouses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 71 percent were concerned about the level of assistance they would receive if they contracted the virus.
Based on the survey results and focus-group discussions, Power Africa recommended several key components of KenGen’s COVID-19 business-resumption strategy:
- Employee commitment and support — Staff who suspect that they have come into contact with a person who has COVID-19 should be encouraged to sign a self-quarantine and isolation pledge.
2. Reduction of stigma — KenGen should develop a thorough workplace stigma-reduction strategy, driven from the top with adequate resources, so that employees who recover from COVID-19 can return to work and smoothly resume their duties.
3. Counseling — KenGen shouldleverage lessons learned from its already existing pre- and post-test counseling program. The utility should also quickly activate peer-support systems for COVID-19 survivors, with embedded psychosocial counseling.
4. Care and prevention — KenGen should encourage and support home-based care, where applicable, with self-monitoring technology apps overseen by KenGen clinicians, adherence to recommended hygiene protocols and accessibility of personal protective equipment.
5. Improved communications — KenGen should institute a COVID-19 health-communication strategy that reaches families directly.
“Power Africa’s rapid diagnostic survey for KenGen has helped us understand the knowledge, attitudes and needs for assistance of our employees. It has also enabled us to develop a business resumption framework. We appreciate Power Africa’s support and look forward to more collaboration as our dependable development partner,” Mrs. Rebecca Miano, MBS Managing Director & CEO.
The long version of this article first appeared on Power Africa medium page
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