It’s time for bosses to start looking after staff

LAST month the Sunday Tribune published an amazing story of a Surat Indian businessman who gave his employees 1200 cars and 400 flats as gifts for the Hindu fesival of Diwali.

He identified 1600 top performers in his diamond industry business and decided to reward them for their outstanding work. This is an annual ritual of his.

Here at home, I began to question what do Indian bosses of big businesses do to reward dedicated staff besides the annual Christmas party of breyani and beers and a gold-plated watch and certificate for long service.

Whilst many companies offer the mandatory and customary benefits like subsidised pension, medical aid, housing and education, others go out of their way to offer incentives like profit sharing, quarterly performance bonuses, holidays and wellness programmes like an in-house gym. These endeavours are based on a simple business premise that happy staff equals happy customers, equals more profits.

Many of our local head “honchos” have no interest in staff outside the confines of business. Our business leaders, besides having a penchant for investing in property, horses and casinos, have shown a daring propensity to plough their profits into the coffers of the ANC, host birthday parties for politicians and themselves and bestowing lavish gifts on the king. This offloading of huge amounts of cash are construed as tax write-offs.

Indians have always been recognised as vital cogs in work organisations, oozing with unparalleled faithfulness and loyalty, often at great personal sacrifice to their families.

Whilst some bosses make it their duty to know all staff from floor sweeper to floor manager, in huge organisations workers are known by just a number and fall short of being assessed on individual capabilities and strengths.

Also, in many situations, the people on the ground, the real production pushers, do not get the recognition they deserve and all praise go to team leaders and managers who sap up the glory.

Bosses need to understand that they can only measure the significance of their own lives by measuring the lives of others.

GENEROUS: Savjibhai Dholakia, a Surat businessman, gave cars and houses to employees as a Diwali bonus to reward good performance. A reader thinks South African bosses should do more to make staff feel appreciated at Christmas time.