By Elizabeth Osayande

The President & Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, CIPM, Olusegun Mojeed, has praised the announcement by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approving a 14-day paternity leave to make men properly bond with their new-born baby or adopted one.

Recall that the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, recently at the Councils weekly meeting presided by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while briefing State House correspondents, described the directive as a welcome development.

Reacting to the federal government approval of a 14-day paternity leave for me, CIPM chairman, at a recent parley with journalists, stated that: “CIPM, as the apex regulatory body for the practice of human resources, HR in Nigeria, is pleased with such news noting that HR is duly concerned about employee welfare which is a very critical aspect of the HR value chain, and a core part of the employee value proposition of any organization.

Emphasizing that that HR was strategically ‘Human’ as the name connoted, accorded high premium on employee family engagement and work experience, Mojeed explained that HR professionals and People Managers must always put a human feel and empathy in getting the best from employees.

He said, “HR is not a hire and fire role”. It has evolved to be more strategic and transformational, thus helping organisations deliver on their mandate, through the most important resource in the workplace, the People.

He added that the CIPM was collaborating with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to deliver the new Performance Management System, PMS, a system designed to re-engineer and reinvigorate the service performance.

The system has replaced ,Annual Performance Evaluation Review, APER in the revised Public Service Rules , PSR.