Introduction

The March 2020 COVID 19 Flash Survey demonstrated that there is considerable uncertainty in the wake of the COVID 19 outbreak. Given the gradual lifting of the hard lockdown measures in Namibia, our second survey aims to gauge the impact on the employee experience during this time. This survey provides an authoritative account of levels of support, leadership effectiveness, the transition back from remote working as well as what the future of work for organisations in Namibia might look like.

As highlighted in our previous survey, COVID 19 has forced organisations into the Fourth Industrial Revolution and has demonstrated the need for increased organisational resilience and community well being by embracing virtualcollaboration tools and practices. The Future of Work is no longer a concept,but a major reality for Namibian organisations.

Namibian organisations have been impacted by COVID 19 in different ways.For some, working virtually has come easily and might have increasedemployee productivity and morale due to the flexibility it creates. For others,particularly in the hospitality and tourism industry, the consequences havebeen less favourable even with the hard lockdown measures being lifted recently.

Seventy seven companies provided input into this survey, for which we extend our sincere gratitude. This report outlines the results of the survey which we trust that you will find insightful in this unprecedented time.

Please contact our Human Capital team as detailed in the contacts pageshould you have any queries or concerns.COVID-19 Flash Survey results Download as PDF

Executive Summary

The majority of Namibian respondents are returning to work as the hard lockdown measures are being lifted. Even though the preferred method of work for most respondents would be to have the flexibility to move between working from home and working from the office, neither one of these options is currently a viable solution for the hospitality and tourism industry. 

In the March 2020 COVID-19 Flash Survey, 100% of respondents stated that their organisation has communicated with them regarding the COVID-19 outbreak. The results from this survey demonstrate that though communication from leadership has been taking place, it may not be efficient and clear enough. 

Another statistic from the previous survey showed that 94% of respondents indicated that their organisation has no plans to retrench, and the majority have successfully implemented extraordinary work from home policies in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The latest results indicate that even though there have been more retrenchments than originally expected, the number of organizations who have found alternative ways to survive the COVID 19 crisis are still more than those who retrenched. 

Increasing organisational resilience in the face of COVID 19 requires organisations to be agile and prioritise Future of Work practices. As Deloitte, we are at the frontline of adapting and are committed to assisting our Namibian clients to leverage the Future of Work levers (work, workforce and workplace) as well as guiding organisations through the phases of responding, recovering and thriving.