People Mean More than Money

Some businesses are under the impression all over the world that human lives and safety must take a back seat to profit and running the business.

They are wrong.

There comes a time when one must decide if they are to be the owner that forces their employees to come in to work in danger, or in safety. Some owners will argue that, “I can't lose this money!”, or “we have to think of the customers!” when it comes to pushing a work day. It's this type of thinking that is just so tragically skewed, and can often lead to tragedy.

Here in New Jersey, we've been hit with a lot of snow. And ice. And cold. And there are a lot of owner/operators out there that are still running their business. In spite of hazards (let's focus on weather, but really? This concept can be applied to anything), some owners become desperate because of loss of work, or some owners don't care at all about worker safety and just their profit margin.

If forcing a work day in hazardous conditions isn't bad enough during bad weather, it is also understood that employees will have a difficult time going to and from work. But that owner. Oh, that owner has other ideas. I'm at work, why shouldn't everyone else be? Because you're wrong, that's why.

To be clear, Budget has closed twice this week because it was simply not safe to work. And that fact should be enough for any business to cease work, or to improve work conditions (if applicable).

That being said, owners can be a strange breed. I, wanting to be a future owner, well. I already started off as a strange breed, but I have seen many owners across MANY. Many. Different jobs waste and conserve money (across many situations) with no rhyme or reason, with no cause, with no sense.

And when it makes the most sense to duck out of the working world for a day, that's where no sense is usually found.

It is also in my experience that when businesses force a work day, they wind up closing early because of the snow, and usually? Customers that would patronize an establishment would stay indoors because they got the day off thanks to bad weather. The money gets lost, the morale gets lost, and life could get lost. For what?

Money.

I, for one, will not be that type of owner, and I am very proud to say that I work for a company whose owner places human life above making a buck. I am going to use common sense to know when it's safe to work, and when we should all just stay home. I am not lazy. I work my ass off, and then I work my leg bones off for this business. The business that I will one day have the pride of running.

But if I'm to be expected to value it over people, well then that's going to be a problem. And if being that way doesn't make me successful?

I'm ok with that!