Too many businesses are obsessed with the bottom line, forgetting the people who make their profits possible.
Experienced employees spend years building companies and sharing their knowledge, only to be pushed aside when they grow older or become more expensive to retain. Some are expected to train their replacements before being shown the door. What a reward for years of service!
Employees must also accept responsibility. Clock watchers who do the bare minimum will not drive a business towards greater productivity and profitability. Initiative, commitment and pride in one’s work matter.
However, employers cannot demand loyalty while treating workers as disposable assets. Succession planning should develop future leaders, not become an excuse to discard experienced employees.
Businesses need profits to survive, but the pursuit of profit must never erase fairness, dignity and respect. Employers must reward commitment and recognise experience while giving younger workers opportunities to grow.
THE BOTTOM LINE: PROFITS MAY KEEP A BUSINESS ALIVE, BUT PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
Corporate Trinidad and Tobago must decide whether it values only the money or also the people responsible for earning it.
Gordon Laughlin,
Westmoorings
