Proposed buddy system may backfire, says Cuepacs

The Star
15/4/2012



PETALING JAYA: Cuepacs has questioned the suitability of the proposed buddy system for civil servants, and urged the Public Service Department to review the plan.

Cuepacs president Datuk Omar Osman said the system might prove to be counter-productive as those who were assigned a buddy could take it the wrong way.

“Some may feel demoralised and demotivated to work if they find out that they were considered problematic,” he said yesterday.

He added that assigning someone from the same department to “help” an underperforming colleague might also have a negative impact.

“The buddy may highlight small mistakes and weaknesses, making the colleague unnecessarily stressed. This would make the situation worse,” he said.

Omar suggested that government departments develop training programmes instead.

He said every department should have its own plan on how to improve the productivity of its staff.

“We believe that well-designed training programmes will be more effective for civil servants than assigning a colleague to help them.”