Aisha Shahed

𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 Silent layoffs are a discreet method companies use to reduce their workforce without making formal announcements. In Pakistan, this practice has become increasingly common. Here’s how it works: 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Employees are abruptly let go under the guise of "performance issues" or "restructuring." 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Employees are pressured to resign "voluntarily," masking the layoff as a mutual decision. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬: Employees are placed on indefinite leave or furlough, effectively removing them without official termination. 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐬: The company stops hiring new employees, allowing natural attrition to reduce headcount over time. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: Freelancers, consultants, and temporary workers are quietly let go as their contracts end or are terminated early. Reduced Hours or Pay Cuts: Employees' hours are reduced, or they face pay cuts, prompting some to leave voluntarily. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 (𝐏𝐈𝐏𝐬): Employees are placed on unrealistic PIPs, leading to terminations when they fail to meet unattainable goals. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬: 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐞 (𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲) 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬: 𝐄𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭: Employees may lose trust in the company, feeling insecure about their job stability. 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧: Talented employees may leave voluntarily, seeking more transparent and stable work environments. 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Companies may face legal challenges if employees contest the fairness or legality of their termination. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞: If the practice becomes public knowledge, the company’s reputation can suffer more severely than from traditional layoffs. Silent layoffs are a controversial tactic that balances immediate business needs against potential long-term damage to the organization’s culture and reputation. In Pakistan, where labor laws and employment practices are under scrutiny, adopting a transparent and ethical approach to workforce reductions is crucial. #SilentLayoffs #WorkforceReduction #EmployeeTrust #CorporateStrategy #HRPractices #BusinessEthics #WorkplaceTransparency #EmploymentLaw #TalentManagement #CompanyCulture

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📢 Calling out all the " 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 " of Twin Cities. 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Degree in Accounts/Finance 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Islamabad 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 1 - 2 years > Develop a work program and schedule for the internal audit, and ensure that the internal audit is carried out by the procedures, policies, and objectives set for it, at least four times during the year, and submit monthly, periodic reports and make recommendations. > Perform full audit cycle including risk management and control management over operations’ effectiveness, financial reliability, and compliance with all applicable regulations. > Checking the integrity of invoices, payment vouchers, and the accompanying supporting documents. > Reviewing cash receipt vouchers and check receipt vouchers, verifying their deposit in banks, and matching between records and bank statements. > Participate in the inventory of cash, stores, and property on a sudden and periodic basis, and report on the results of the inventory and any discrepancies, deficits, or actions contrary to the rules, regulations, and decisions of the Administrative Board. > Ensure that purchases are stored in ways that facilitate inventory control and inventory at any moment. > Recommend and implement changes to address procedures and practices that are not compliant with FNRCO regulations. > Reviewing the accounting entries from the arithmetic and accounting aspects to ensure their correctness with the attachments and the integrity of the accounting guidance, entry, and posting of the relevant records on the computer. > Coordinate and conduct special audits and investigations with minimal supervision and direction. > Analyze existing compliance records and make all necessary updates. > Compile reports on the results of external and internal audits, present these reports to the executive director, and senior management, and recommend corrective and improvement measures. > Work with different departments and branches to assist in evaluating systemic functional and operational compliance with internal policies and procedures and design affirmative remediation plans to address issues identified, including revision of policies and procedures and providing training as necessary to staff. > Determining internal audit & compliance scope and developing annual plans. > Obtaining, analyzing, and evaluating accounting & financial documentation, reports, data, flowcharts, etc. > Identify loopholes and recommend risk aversion measures and cost savings > Maintain open communication with senior management and branch managers on improvements and best practices. 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲: [email protected]

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Join 25000+ HR professionals at hashtag #HRKatalyst4 (Dec 5-6) for: - > 60+ Global Speakers -> 25 Topics -> SHRM Credits -> Game-changing insights -> Speed networking Your turn to frame the future of HR! 🎯 Already 25,000+ HR leaders have registered - have you? https://bit.ly/41cztWx hashtag #HRKatalyst4

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Sign of a true learning organisation. People just don't learn, they also teach. It not only reduces your dependency on external resources, but also allows you to build more relevant and surgical learning interventions. Proud of each and every member who participated.

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Does a specialized degree really matter in Pakistan, where universities focus more on theories than practical learning? Also, does having a specialized degree guarantee that you will become an expert in that field? Your thinking and approach can improve with theoretical learning, but it can only align you to a certain level. In today’s market, most learning comes from practical experience. I have a degree in leadership, but does that mean I am a leader or that I fully understand leadership? No. You become an expert in any field through practical experience and dealing with real-life situations. You also learn from your mentors at work. If you know about different training methods, you would see that on-the-job training, off-the-job training, and induction programs teach job skills - not your degree or field of study. A degree teaches you the basics to some extent, but in the end, you learn through experience. 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬.

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HR should be about building trust, driving business impact, and advocating for people—not just building a personal brand online. Let’s focus on real value, practical skills, and genuine contribution! #HRinPakistan #WorkCulture #Leadership #HRReality #Transparency #RealSkills

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Over my time working closely with Waqas Khan Pitafi, I've had the privilege of learning invaluable lessons. 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 ➡️ One day, I mentioned to Sir about an employee who was displaying some attitude. Sir asked, "How is he performing?" I replied, "He is performing excellently." Sir said, "Focus on his productivity. Attitude is secondary if the results are exceptional." ➡️ Another instance involved a mistake made by a team member, and I criticized her publicly. Sir advised, "Always appreciate an employee in public, but when it comes to criticism, do it in private." ➡️ When dealing with a team member who wasn't behaving well with his team, Sir remarked, "Sometimes, a little bitterness is necessary to get the work done. Not everything can be sweet all the time." ➡️ Discussing an employee who was loyal but not performing up to the mark, Sir emphasized, "Always value an employee based on their productivity. Loyalty is important, but performance is key." ➡️ I once shared with Sir my goal of becoming a consultant and trainer. I shared that Whenever I discussed this with senior trainers or consultants, they told me it is not possible in Pakistan, which left me demotivated and made me abandon my dream. Sir listened and then said, "If you let their words demotivate you, then it was just wishful thinking, not a true dream. If you believe in yourself, you can achieve it. ➡️ Once I Asked Sir, asked about the purpose of life, Sir replied, "The purpose is to seek the approval and satisfaction of God (kushnodi of God)." He explained that this fulfilment can be found in all aspects of life—faith, finance, fitness, family, fun, further learning, and future career. We can lead a balanced and meaningful life by striving to please God in each of these areas. It was a wonderful experience working with a visionary, fearless, Bold, and very Empathic person like Sir Waqas Khan Pitafi.

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I belong to a Country where: Salary on time is considered a perk 30,000 salary is labeled as market competitive Office politics outshines national politics Managers focus on working hours rather than results Mango day is celebrated like a national festival HR posts more selfies than job openings Guess my country? #WorkCulture #CorporateLife #OfficePolitics #SalaryTalks #HRRealities #EmployeeExperience #LinkedInCommunity #ProfessionalLife #WorkplaceHumor #CareerJourney #BusinessCulture #LinkedInFam #MangoFestival #WorkLife

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Customer Experience & Product Knowledge Training Delivering an exceptional customer experience is more critical than ever. Deep product knowledge—especially when using powerful platforms like Salesforce. But it’s not just about the tools; it’s about the people behind them. That’s where our HR teams come in. By spearheading initiatives for training and continuous development, HR plays a vital role in equipping our employees with the knowledge they need to thrive. When our teams understand Salesforce inside and out, they can turn data into meaningful insights, personalize interactions, and anticipate customer needs. This not only enhances the customer journey but also fosters a culture of empowerment and growth within our organization. Let’s recognize the importance of HR in driving these initiatives. Agha Hassan Raza Asim Iqbal, MBA #CustomerExperience #Salesforce #HRLeadership #ProductKnowledge #TrainingAndDevelopment

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Leave Policy In Pakistan! Each Employee is entitled to the following Holidays/Leaves 1. Weekly Holidays 2. Causal Leaves 3. Sick leaves 4. Maternity leaves 5. Paternity leaves 6. Public Holidays 7. Annual leaves/ Annual Holidays 2.1-Casual leaves: Employees are entitled to 10 days of fully paid leave. It can be more than 10 days, depending on organizational internal policies 4.1-Maternity Leaves: Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2023 to enact it as a law, allowing women employees up to 180 leaves during pregnancy. Avail maternity leave with full pay three times during service – 180 days for the first time, 120 days for the second time, and 90 days for the third time.” 5.1-Paternity leaves: A male employee expecting his wife to give birth to a child shall, at his option, be granted paternity leave on full pay not exceeding thirty days outside his leave account from the date of its commencement Such Paternity leave may not be granted for more than three times in the entire service of the male employee 7.1-Annual leaves: An employee is entitled to 14 calendar days paid annual leave, after completion of 12 months of continuous service. (Section 49-B of Factories Act 1934).  LEAVE ENCASHMENT. If a worker doesn't want to avail of annual leaves, then, he can get payment of leaves proportionate to his monthly wage within 24 months Special Leaves: Pilgrimage leave Those who proceed on pilgrimage i.e., Hajj, Umra, Ziarat, are granted special leave up to 60 days. Employers may grant it only once during employment and not combine it with other leave entitlements #laborlaws #laborlawsinPakistan #leavepolicy #leavpolicyinpaksitan #hrmanagement

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As job seekers, we often notice a significant difference in job listings within Pakistan: while some companies clearly state the salary range for job positions, most companies remain silent on this crucial detail. Why is this the case? Transparent salary information can save time for both employers and candidates, ensuring that expectations align from the very beginning. It fosters trust and can significantly enhance the employer's brand reputation. Are there specific reasons why many Pakistani companies prefer to keep salary information undisclosed? Is it a matter of flexibility, market competitiveness, or something else entirely? Transparency in salary can lead to better, more informed decisions for job seekers and potentially a more motivated and committed workforce for employers. Should more Pakistani corporates adopt a transparent approach similar to the few that already do? #Transparency #JobListings #CorporateCulture #JobSeekers #Pakistan #HR #SalaryTransparency #CareerGrowth

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"Honored to be featured in Insights Pakistan Spotlight! 🌟 At Appedology Pvt. Ltd., I’m passionate about creating a performance-driven culture where employee engagement and recognition are key. Excited to continue driving innovation and excellence with my team! Feel free to connect if you’d like to discuss more about performance management and employee engagement. Let’s keep pushing for workplace excellence! 💼✨ #PerformanceAndRewards #EmployeeEngagement #HRExcellence #LeadershipInHR #WorkplaceInnovation #HRLeadership #CareerSpotlight"

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Sunday thought: Recently came across an article on the animation industry being a lucrative business in the global entertainment media sector. However, the landscape seems different in Pakistan, partly due to inadequate education in the field. It's interesting to note that individuals in Pakistan believe they can learn 3D animation in just 3 months, while internationally, an animatic-specific course requires at least a year of dedicated training. A stark difference highlighting the importance of comprehensive education in this creative domain. #AnimationIndustry #GlobalMedia #Education #Training #CreativeSector

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Have a proposition for the government of Pakistan: Continue with current taxes for salaried class, but remove 18% sales tax on any consumption, abolish advance/wht tax for us, reimburse school fee for children, issue health cards for IPD (Upto 2 Mn/year per individual), reimburse upto 150k for OPD per person, remove tax on utilities, distribute at most 2% tax of the amount to senior citizens for pensions/health costs. Tax, but return the benefit too. For perspective: Benefits highly taxed citizens of UK, Canada, European countries get: Universal health care, access to education, law & order. Also happiness as these societies value high equality, social trust and honesty of government. They enjoy long paid vacations, zero out-of-pocket costs of health care, zero or low tuition costs and quality public services for all Benefits Pakistani salaried class gets for paying upto 39% on direct income tax: No social security (except for limited pensions for govt employees), non existent law & order, poor education, poor health care, dishonest government, rule of the powerful, stressful life.

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Lately, I've seen too many posts targeting HR, even stereotyping women in HR by calling them "baji"—an Urdu term for elder sister—in a sarcastic tone, despite the fact that many men also work in HR. It’s disheartening to see a field that’s crucial to company culture dismissed so easily, especially in posts from senior professionals (including some CEOs) who should understand both HR’s responsibilities and its limitations. What people often miss is that HR is typically the face of decisions —especially in smaller or family-owned (“sethiya”) companies. We communicate these decisions, but we don’t always make them. And as for the criticism that HR serves the company’s interests first, isn’t that true for every department? Yes, HR has its shortcomings, and there’s always room for improvement. But if we truly want to elevate workplace standards, constructive feedback and respect will drive change much more effectively than belittling posts ever could. Let’s encourage progress without putting down an entire profession. #RespectHR #ConstructiveFeedback #LinkedInCommunity #WorkplaceCulture

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Is 'organizational development' limited to "corporate trainings" only? I've seen some companies even in Pakistan advertise the job posting of 'OD specialist' having an experience of 5 years or less than 5 years and then expect from the new hire to cure all the organizational dysfunctionalities in a short period of time. In Pakistan and globally often 'OD specialists' consider their work limited to scheduling internal and external trainings in their companies and the management of the companies also expect the same from them. Because of the way most companies are organized, the CEO is the focal point of power and responsibility for managing and taking care of all organizational development initiatives. The CEO or President of the company is therefore, the key to the success of organizational development (OD) programs. All this is not new. But what has not been spelled out clearly is the what and the why about the CEO that makes him the key to the success of organizational development initiatives. The answer is: his behavior. The way the CEO actually behaves is crucial for the survival of organizational renewal and change activities. It is his behavior and subsequently the behavior of functional heads that ultimately does or does not confirm the idea that organizational development (OD) is necessary, credible, and inexorably linked to his leadership style. #od #organizationaldevelopment #work #business #corporate #learn #develop #grow #changemanagement #leaders #entrepreneurs #decisionmakers #learn #behavior #ceos #cfos #executives #hr #directors #boardmembers #renewal #departmentalheads #managers #know #reflect #hrprofessionals #functionalheads #ctos #life #coach #mentor #softwaredevelopmentmanager

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Employee: Makes PKR 2,000,000 a year. Works hard. "I deserve a raise to PKR 2,500,000 a year." Boss: "Why do you feel this way?" Employee: "Based on averages for this job title, my years of experience, and performance, a salary increase is reasonable." Boss: "We can’t afford the pay rise." Employee: Quits 5 months later. Boss: Job vacant for 3 months. Reduced team morale. Incurs business losses at PKR 1,500,000. Approves a new job posting at PKR 2,500,000. Spends PKR 200,000 in recruiting and training costs. Lesson: It's cheaper to retain staff than to replace them! ♻️ Repost to share with your connections! #EmployeeRetention #CostSaving #BusinessLeadership #Copied

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Leave Laws in Pakistan Casual Leave (CL) Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, KPK, Islamabad: 10 days/year. Sick Leave (SL) Punjab, KPK & Islamabad: 16 days (half wages). Sindh: Factories Act: 16 days (full wages). Mines & Shops Act: 16 days (half wages). Balochistan: Factories Act: 20 days. Mines & Shops Act: 16 days. Annual Leave (AL) Sindh, Punjab, KPK, Islamabad: 14 days (full wages). Sindh (Mines): 1 day for every 17 days worked (underground) or every 20 days worked (aboveground). Balochistan: 20 days. Festival Holidays Federal/Provincial Governments: 12 days annually (Sindh allows 14 days). Maternity Leave Sindh: 16 weeks. Balochistan: 14 weeks. Punjab, KPK, Islamabad: 12 weeks. Paternity Leave Punjab: 7 days. Iddat Leave All provinces: 4 months and 10 days. Other Leaves (as per company policies) Wedding Leave: Typically 7–14 days. Birthday Leave: Allowed by some MNCs for 2–3 kids annually. Hajj/Umrah/Ziarat Leave: Paid leave often granted after 2–3 years of service. Tablighi Leave: Some organizations allow up to 40 days (paid/half-paid). As HR leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure that employees are well-informed about their leave entitlements and that we are up-to-date on legal requirements. Let’s continue to foster a fair and compliant work environment by staying ahead on labor laws and company policies. #HRProfessionals #EmployeeBenefits #LeaveEntitlements #HumanResources #WorkplaceCompliance

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