Rose Karikari Anang, the Deputy Chair of the National Labour Commission urged over five hundred HR Practitioners at the HR Focus Conference to insist on complying to policies in their workplaces, especially when it concerns unlawful terminations.
“Unfair termination accounts for 45% of cases we deal with at the Labour Commission. HR Practitioners who have full knowledge of the labour laws should not allow their CEO to bully them into unlawfully terminating employees”, she stated.
The event was held on Thursday, 28th September 2023 at the Accra International Conference Center.
The much-anticipated HR Focus Conference and Awards event brought together industry leaders, HR professionals, and businesses for an enlightening and celebratory experience under the theme: “The HR Mandate: Building Resilient People and Businesses,”.
The event featured the Vodafone HR Forum, which included thought-provoking keynote speeches, engaging panel discussions, corporate exhibitions and networking opportunities aimed at fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the HR community.
In his welcome address, Mr. James Laar, the Managing Director of L’AINE HR – HR Focus’ parent company, said: “This year, our conference holds even greater significance as it coincides with the HR Focus Awards, a biennial celebration of excellence in HR practice across diverse industries in Ghana.” “The theme for today’s event calls upon us to foster resilience not only within our employees but also within the very fabric of our organizations.”, he stated.
The Forum was followed by the HR Focus Awards Ceremony which awarded thirty-four organizations who have built up the tradition of best practice and innovative interventions in Human Resource Management.

Highlights: Vodafone HR Forum:
Delivering the first keynote address, Amazing Grace Anim-Yeboah, Business Banking Director at ABSA Bank – emphasised the role of HR in promoting diversity by accommodating all generational cohorts. She said, “The role of the Human Resource function is to ensure a culture that is able to accommodate all generations in the workplace, as well as support and drive the right demographic to allow for diversity.”
During the first panel discussion, Jeff Bassey, Founder, HR Certification Centre, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong; HR Director at Vodafone Ghana, Chris Diaba, and George Panford; Head of People at Hollard Ghana; took turns to speak about the importance of developing resilient leadership. Speaking on how to manage toxic relationships in the workplace, Chris Diaba; Lead Practitioner and Executive Coach at Standard Chartered Bank said, “It is important for HR Practitioners to make an effort to understand the issues employees have so they [employees] do not find other outlets to vent.” He also encouraged HR Practitioners to visit and interact with employees in their respective offices to build and foster genuine connections.
Speaking on the importance of developing the next generation, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong urged students to exit organizations that offer no internship value.
Dr. Edward Kwapong, the President, the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM) also delivered the second keynote address on the topic “Empowering Resilient Organizations; Pioneering the Next Level of Employee Engagement”, shared some insights on how to develop high levels of employee engagement. He said, “HR Practitioners need to support employee development, conduct regular HR audits and establish a good performance system to boost employee engagement levels”.
David L.O Mills, during the panel discussion also encouraged HR Leaders to build a culture of learning, accountability and high performance. Other resource persons on the panel included: Georgina Bartels and Emmanuel Okeleji.
The HR Focus Conference was proudly sponsored by: Jospong Group, Vodafone Ghana, L’AINE HR, Vivo Energy, Newmont Ghana, Agregartech, FDA, Hollard Ghana, Amalitech, Donewell Insurance, Petrosol, Enterprise Group, Seamless HR, Volta Hotel, GOIL, Accra Business School, DVLA, EBID, Acacia, SMT, Stanbic Bank, and ABSA Bank. Media partners were: Citi Fm, Joy Fm, Asaase Radio and Graphic Communications. Coca-Cola and Kasapreko were the official beverage sponsors of the event.
