Wazito President Ricardo ‘Don’ Badoer has explained why his playing and non-playing staff will not be taking a pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic period.
The pandemic, which has spread across the globe, has brought businesses to a halt with the Kenyan Premier League being suspended after the government banned all public gathering in a bid to combat the virus. Clubs have felt the heat with some introducing pay cuts.
Badoer announced he will not effect pay cuts and will instead pay salaries in full. He said he had to be considerate of the employees who have many dependents.
“My thinking is that when you have people working for you, you cannot decide not to pay them because there is a virus in the world. It would be very unfair for me to pull such a move. They have families, they need to put food on the table and as such, I have to consider their welfare too,” he stated on the club’s website
“My company is an international company and we have a huge number of people working for us. In Kenya alone, we have employed around 65 people. If I decide not to pay them because of the virus, their families will suffer because they cannot do any other job right now. I am showing solidarity and responsibility by paying them all their dues during this difficult period,” he added.
On whether the move will hurt his business, the Swedish billionaire said he had set aside a kitty to bankroll his entities whenever there is an unfavourable business environment.
“I always have money put aside that can run my business and pay my people during bad times. When you survive bad times, you come back stronger because the staff will be willing to give their best because they are part of a well-run business,” he concluded.
