Of married and single employees

Sep 28, 2009

“SHE must be married,”colleagues whisper of a hardworking secretary just passed by. That is the funny myth in workplaces nowadays: married employees work twice as hard as their single colleagues.

By Susan Muyiyi

“SHE must be married,”colleagues whisper of a hardworking secretary just passed by. That is the funny myth in workplaces nowadays: married employees work twice as hard as their single colleagues.

It is said if one is looking for committed workers, the married ones are the best.
Young married women are believed to be more responsible and less likely to spend company time flirting. They also focus because they need to support a growing family.

The married men too, are said to pledge allegiance to the companies they work for. And are less likely to jobhop like their single counterparts would.

It is believed that a man who commits to one woman is less likely to swindle company resources.

Just how true is this myth?
Peter Ojede a member of the Human resource managers association of Uganda says it does not hold water. Any happy person is able to work commitedly, married or not, Ojede believes.

Moreover, Ojede says, the married ones could come with their marital burdens which could affect their performance at work.

If the children are sick, a mother may not concentrate on her work, Ojede explains.

Ojede also busts the myth about the single ones being flexible and able to work late hours because they do not have commitments.

Some single people have very busy evenings in night clubs and bars. Such a person is not likely to concentrate in the midst of a hangover and fatigue, he says.

“An employee’s performance at work depends on an individual’s character and their zeal for work and not their marital status,”Ojede sums up.

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