local authority departments dealing with gender equality consistently face challenges
due to lack of resources and are therefore unable to bring gender issues to the fore-
ground. The target is for 30% of the positions in top leadership to be held by women.
The Mzumbe University policy on gender development (2008) expresses the univer-
sity aspiration to achieve gender balance in employment and students’ enrolment. In
terms of employment, the target is to reach the ratio of 35:50 in employment by 2012
and 50:50 in students’ enrolment.
Managing diversity
Despite growing concern for the promotion of equal opportunities, there is also a shift in
emphasis to managing diversity which appears, at least in theory, to focus on policies
which will lead to valuing and recognising a wide range of differences and use them for
the good of individual employees and the organisation (Foster & Harris 2005). So ine-
quality is seen as an opportunity that should be exploited.
- Retirement policy
Retirement is a natural way of employees leaving the organisation. On some occasions,
the organisation may need the services of retired staff. Retirement policy allows the
management to enter into a contractual agreement with retirees for employment pur-
poses when it is clearly established that doing so would be in the best interests of the
organisation.
The policy will state, among others, that there should be an identification of retired staff
to be employed and that the process of employing such staff is initiated. For example,
‘upon request, the department of human resources will provide a list of eligible employ-
ees who qualify for reemployment’ or: ‘The line manager intending to continue utilising
the services of retiring staff has to seek the consent of the staff concerned before initiat-
ing these contractual agreements and that such a process has to begin well before the
actual date of retirement’.
The policy might also state that the top management be advised of the department’s
intention and reasons for employing retired staff and requests consideration and ap-
proval of higher organs for such an application. The policy may state that ‘the mandate
for approval of employment of retired staff lies with the governing body’. The terms
and conditions of employment usually stipulate thus:
- ‘Employees who are employed in the category of retirees are not eligible for
company benefits other than those explicitly stated in the employment agreement.’ - Or ‘no more than 5% of the total departmental workforce may be made up of
retirees.’ - All these policy statements help managers to make informed and consistent
decisions in all matters regarding the reemployment of retired staff for the
organisation as well as avoiding frequent and unnecessary questions from staff since
the policy will be an open document.
- Lay off policy
In the same way that sometimes employees are required by the organisation, there are
other circumstances where, for reasons such as a fall in demand, the organisation does
not need those same employees. Lay off policy enables the organisation to implement a
reduction in the workforce according to uniform criteria, known to both employees and