As other Kenyans worry about hand sanitizers shortage and scramble to stock as much food as their barely oiled wallets can manage in this Corona panic period, employees at Standard Media Group have a job security struggle after the giant media group announced massive retrenchment.
In what’s going to be the hallmark of media employment massacre in Kenya, the group announced that 170 of its redundant employees across all departments were going to face the axe in a month’s time.
In a memo dated March 18, the company assured the will be affected employees that their dues were going to be paid in full and that they will provide free counselling if need be.
Below is a memo as seen by myniusline.com
The company defended their difficult decision saying that the move was in it’s best interest considering the difficult business environment and the changing trends in media consumption due to technology.
In addition, the company cited that the efficiencies brought about by automation of some of their internal processes had long made some departments redundant and economically unsustainable.
The unlucky employees will be fairly handpicked in compliance with the provisions of the Employment Act 2007, the Labor Relations Act and Current CBA. Moreover, their termination letters will be privately handed to them.
The last mass sacking exercise by the Standard Group was in 2017 in which the group’s top editorial team was shown the door in a move to cut operational costs.
