What relationship exists between these differing responsibilities?

Question

Is there any direct relationship between an employers responsibility to their employees and such employees family responsibilities and basic living requirements?

Yesterday morning, one of the office ladies here at work, a bookkeeper, informed us that her elderly parents were in danger of losing their home and had no food on the table and hence requested for us to urgently increase her salary to enable her to aid her parents in these difficult times, we had already given her an increase in March, an increase well above the inflation rate, I then ask, what bearing does an employee's personal expenses and family commitments have on an employer, I fail to see the link if there even is a link?

Would you in the position of the employer grant an increase on such grounds considering the employee's performace has already been evaluated in dtermining her salary level?

Answer 1

Bull life is hard, and the sooner you learn to rely on only one person, and that is yourself, the better. The bookkeeper cannot expect to get 2 raises per year, she should tackle the problem of her parents herself, sell their house and let them move in with her will sort the problem out quickly. How much money is she expecting to get in order to be able to pay two bonds ie hers and her parents? Every one is struggling, and anyway if you do it for her you will have to do it for every one else that work for the company.

Answer 2

As far as I'm concerned, provided you are paying the said employee a market related salary, you have no obligation to further increase her salary.

Life is tough but that's just the way it goes. If she cannot afford to support her family then she needs to cut back on some other expenses.

Where will it end ... if you give her an increase now then what happens the next time she runs into trouble ... you may even have every employee coming to you with a family crisis.

Answer 3

No , i dont think that the employer should be responsible of their employees's family etc , sounds harsh but thats business. We however had a similiar situation a while ago , My boss felt sorry for the guy and wanted to help , so he suggested giving the guy a loan from the company with an agreed amount being deducted from his salary every month as just an advance on his salary wasnt enough to sort out his problems. So ya if the company wants to help out , which they are not obliged to do so , loans are always an option. Maybe you can suggest this to her if the company agrees.

Answer 4

It doesn't work in France, anyway, although an old, trusted and valued employee might add it as a sub-clause during a pay negotiation. I think employers should also be subject to the rules of basic humanity, the same as anyone else - in other words, do as you would be done by. But that does not mean you have to be stupid, either. If the case is a genuine exception, and the employee is valued - the recent pay-rise suggests she is - then again, it is a case for your judgement as a human being. But if you feel that it is unwarranted, then that should be the end of it. You also have to bear in mind that the other employees should not get to hear of it if you do decide that she deserves some gesture. If they do, you're in trouble.