Covid-19 and Career Shock among Employees of Private Tertiary Institutions in Ghana

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected every fiber of society resulting in gainers and losers in all fronts. This study examined the pandemic in the context of career shock. Using the mixed methods approach of research, the article examined the degree to which the pandemic culminated into career shock, the career decisions taken and the effect on the level of job satisfaction among employees of private tertiary institutions in Ghana. The findings revealed that employees had both positive and negative career shocks. The negatives were in the form of delayed promotions, training and development, cuts in salary and loss of job and the positives were in the new opportunities that employees were exposed to. In response to the shock, career decisions such as the search for a new job, further studies and entrepreneurship were taken. Employees who remained with their employers experienced mixed levels of job satisfaction depending on whether the career shock was positive or negative to them. The paper recommends that employees should be versatile in the knowledge, skill and ability to handle future situations likely to result in career shock, the Labour Act, 2003 should be amended to give workers some safety nets in times of natural occurrences like disasters and pandemics and Government of Ghana with stakeholders such as the Ghana Employers Association, Ghana Association of Private Tertiary Institutions (GAPTI) and the Conference of Heads of Private Universities, Ghana (CHPUG) should consider establishing emergency fund to cater for their workers during pandemics and disasters.