One of the most iconic South African moments you’ll ever experience is being in a room and having the power suddenly go out. It’s known as “load shedding”, and it’s been a thorn in the side of many businesses on a local and global level for years.
But that doesn’t mean you have to look somewhere else for your remote workforce. Let’s take a look at how employees handle load shedding in South Africa!
Employment And Load Shedding
Let’s take a brief look at the origin of load shedding before moving on to its impact today.
The History Of Load Shedding
The concept of rolling blackouts has been a thing for a long time, but the term “load shedding” only really became popular in 2007. It started when South Africa’s power supplier, Eskom, stated that it couldn’t supply power to the whole country at the same time.
The result was a schedule that would lead to parts of the country blacking out for a few hours at a time. It was done to stop the power grid from collapsing.
While the original statement from Eskom was that load shedding would remain for the next 5 – 7 years, we’re still experiencing the issue today. However, it’s no longer a problem as much as it is an irritation.
How Employees Handle Load Shedding In South Africa
The standard is that load shedding lasts about 2 hours at a time and it’s very rare to experience more than 8 hours per work week in total. For those working on laptops, it’s really more of a nuisance than a problem.
Let’s take a look at the ways that South African employees find ways around the issue of load shedding.
Alternative Power Supplies
In both households and workplaces, alternative power supplies have become the go-to for countering load shedding. While the main source right now is generators, many people are turning to renewable energy and private power companies to get around the issue.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
“UPS” is a household terms nowadays. Essentially, a UPS acts as the middle point between a power supply and an electronic device. When the power cuts, the UPS switches to stored power, and the device keeps getting power. It’s a good way to stop devices from getting damaged by power surges as well.
Inverters
Inverters are like bigger UPS systems. They usually have to be installed by an electrician, and they kick in a few seconds after the power goes. They can power a lot more than a UPS can, so you’ll find them in homes where they keep fridges and other appliances running.
Coffee Shops
A go-to for many people is to sit down at a coffee shop (or other places with a generator) and work there for the duration of the load shedding slot.
Co-Working Spaces
Co-working spaces also tend to have generators or inverters to keep things running. And, because some of them aren’t super expensive or far away, it’s not a difficult choice to make.
Batteries
By batteries, we’re referring to systems that store power. These could be lights, portable chargers, or any other device that can hold a charge without a power supply.
Surge Protection Plugs
While the power going off is annoying, it’s doubly irritating when the surge of power that rushes in when the power’s back fries your electronics. Many people invest in surge protection plugs to make sure that their electronics (like laptops) don’t get damaged when the power comes back.
Load Shedding Schedules
Apps such as EskomSePush keep people informed about when their power’s going to be cut. It allows them to plan in advance, and effectively find ways to keep working when the power’s out.
Adaptive Work Schedules
Some South African employees are willing to work different hours to get around the issue of their power being off. In this way, they get the work done and work the hours needed, even if it’s a bit later than usual.
Backup WiFi
If the power does go and there’s no way around it, South Africans do invest in portable or mobile WiFi routers. This allows them to keep working on their laptops when the power’s out. In some cases, they may even use their phone as a hotspot.
Work Prioritisation
If there’s something that could be done while the power’s out (like admin), then you’ll find that South African employees make sure to complete as much as they can during the time their power’s on, switching over when the power goes, and then switching back when the power’s back again.
What Can You Do As An Employer?
While load shedding in South Africa isn’t a problem anymore, it is still an annoying thing to deal with. If you do have South African employees, there are a few things you could do that would make the process much easier for them – and ensure productivity for you.
Provide Alternative Power
Most UPS systems aren’t super expensive, and they can keep a router running. If your employees use laptops, offering them a UPS is a great way to ensure they don’t lose out on work time.
Pay For Co-Working Spaces
Paying for a co-working space (or contributing partly to it) is a good way to make sure your employees have a place to go when there’s no power.
Pay For Data
If your employees are using a portable router or their phones, you could cover the cost of the data for the time that the power’s out.
Wrapping Up
Whether you offer them a way to keep working or not, the one thing you most definitely have to do is to show understanding.
South Africans are hard working, and don’t enjoy not being able to work. If you show them that you don’t mind that they’re stuck with an issue they can’t control, they’ll definitely be grateful – something you’ll see with a spike in productivity.