In it for the long haul. Why employees must not be treated as expendable?

What is the purpose of your business? It would be best if you asked yourself that question before we begin. First, the obvious answer is to make money; most would argue as much money as possible. Now, while it’s true that a business needs to turn a profit, is it possible that the pursuit of profit can harm the people who work for the company and depend on it?

Customers and clients are becoming more aware of their business’s l responsibilities. More so, as social media significantly impacts the average person’s daily life, people are becoming more dissatisfied with how they are treated, both in their private lives and at work.

Workplace motivation impacts.

The periodic scandals involving the world’s banks and other financial institutions over the years have left most of us disgusted that those responsible for what most people see as this criminal negligence are mainly left unscathed. So is it any wonder that morale amongst many is at an all-time low? With a steady rise in self-centred behaviour, is it surprising that more people consider work only as an obligation to pay the bills?

Workplace motivation and pride in one’s work are becoming or have become a thing of the past, especially for the young. When we begin to take pride in our work, no matter what it is when we consciously look for the satisfaction and pleasure of doing our jobs well. Only then do we start to enjoy our work once more? A happy and motivated workforce is always more productive and efficient than one where work is seen only as a daily grind.

Why we work.

The simplest way of looking at it is that we must work, not just for the mundane everyday reasons of paying our way every month. We work to build a future for our children and ourselves. Why, then, approach every workday with dread and negativity? If we are obligated to do something, we should make the most of it as well.

The injustices we hear and read about daily can all too easily influence us; they can quickly undermine our positive mental approach to work if we are not extremely careful. In other words, we have to protect ourselves by compartmentalising our thoughts. For example, there is nothing wrong with feeling anger and frustration with the latest banking scandal, but there is no positive if we let it influence our daily lives.

The growing power of social networking may, eventually, begin to pressure for change, transparency and accountability. The violent alternatives belong in another age where discontent was addressed with revolution and retribution. We must remain civilised and begin to assert our combined voices to bring about positive change.

No such thing as job security anymore.

Don’t you find that working for such a business where making as much money and as quickly as possible, regardless of any detrimental effects to society or individuals, is morally corrupt? That’s how I feel about it, but I suspect many feel the same way.

Working in an environment where long-term sustainability is more important; while maintaining a careful balance with making a profit. This is socially and morally responsible.

Long gone are the days of job security, and, to be honest, some of the nastier effects have gone with them. Think about how, when the unions had overwhelming power in the UK, almost nobody could be fired, no matter how lazy or dishonest they were. However, we have gone far too far in the other direction where we can lose our jobs for the most obscure reasons. As usual, we seem unable or unwilling to find a happy balance between the two extremes.

A business that thinks of long-term sustainability offers job security; of sorts. As long as they maintain their loyalty to the workforce, that loyalty will always be reciprocated. The business’s greatest asset, the knowledge base, won’t be lost due to restructuring and reorganisation. Downsizing should only ever be implemented as a last resort. Still, even then, a morally responsible employer should do everything in their power to help the soon-to-be former employees.

Final thoughts.

Running a business used to be like running an extended family, those days have passed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t care for each other anymore.

Aiming for the long haul rather than the ‘quick buck’ would go some way towards a return to the old, but still relevant, values of care and concern for our fellow human beings.