Short-term employment is not job security

THE EDITOR: Tell me when will they understand that short-term employment renewal is selective and rarely based on meritocracy or good work ethic? If advances are made for the long-term contract one has to rely on sheer luck.

Too many young professionals, particularly young women, are victimised because of that. It is used as a tool to coax and give the false impression that job security would come.

Countless times facing financial institutions for a mortgage are based on the conditions of continual employment. It looks really bad upon transitioning to others jobs in hopes of this breakthrough to present something concrete, only to be rejected repeatedly by said banks or mortgage companies.

Some of these managers use this as a way to easily discard good employees. Workplace mobbing is sadly encouraged. It occurs when they deliberately ostracise employees from opportunities for potential training, projects, or team-building exercises. It leads to incessant bullying by co-workers to pressure employees to walk off the job. Yes, it happens. Is this the aspiration to boast about growth and development?

Sometimes the fear of publicly speaking out may tarnish one's credibility. Employers should encourage harmonious relationships for employees rather than casting the blame or deflecting.

In essence, no one should stay silent and absorb the emotional and psychological abuses at the workplace. One should be respected for speaking up and doing something about it. Healthy conflict resolution would create awareness to help others.

An organisation may either improve or perpetuate toxicity. There are long-term effects on mental health. Short-term employment – month to month, three months, six months – for years in an organisation fulfils what exactly? When a government administration changes, then there is the shift and scrambling to find another job?

Is this the conversation we want to have or are we still afraid? No! Enough is enough with dangling a contract over someone's head because of the power that comes with the position and the dollar.

L MOTTE

Couva