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| Tracking the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Employee Rights in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Enugu State, Nigeria
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Onah, Francisca N. (Ph.D), Ugwuibe Christopher O.(Ph.D) , Okoye Kingsley E, Nnadi, Helen (Ph.D)
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Abstract:
The term Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) refers to businesses that are basically, privately owned and operated, with a small number of personnel, and a relatively low volume of sales. In Nigeria, SMEs contribute 48% of national GDP, account for 96% of businesses and 84% of employment. Despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy, challenges still persist that hinder the growth and development of the sector.The novel COVID-19 pandemic added to the woes of SMEs as it has disrupted social and economic lives of the people. Many micro and small businesses experienced unprecedented decline in businesses activity in the first quarter of the year 2020 due to control measures such as transport restrictions, quarantine, physical distancing, and bans on weekly markets due to the impact of the COVID-19. Their survival was threatened and the government policy response measures and stimulus do not commensurate with the untold hardship occasioned by the pandemic. The primary casualties are the employees of these vulnerable SMEs. Considerable percentage lost their rights and others lost their jobs. The objectives of the study are to:( i) Examine how the pandemic affected the rights and welfare of employee in SMEs in Enugu State. (ii) Ascertain whether SMEs benefitted from government stimulus directed to safeguard the jobs of employees. (iii) Ascertain the level of effectiveness of government policy towards the rights of employees in SMEs. It is against this backdrop that the study focused on tracking the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on employee rights in SMEs in Enugu State. A robust survey research for collection of authentic secondary data was conducted. Our review shows that considerable percentage of employers lost their job, some with depleted take home package.The most disturbing finding is that the law ill-protects them as they crumble under the whims of the employers.
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