THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYERS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES

This is my third week as an MBA student at Lagos Business School and the things I have learnt within this short span of time are amazingly great. In this blog post, I wish to share with you some of the knowledge I have gained so far. Today, we will be reflecting on the responsibilities of companies (employers) and organizations to their employees.

This is my third week as an MBA student at Lagos Business School and the things I have learnt within this short span of time are amazingly great. In this blog post, I wish to share with you some of the knowledge I have gained so far. Today, we will be reflecting on the responsibilities of companies (employers) and organizations to their employees.

I found this topic very timely because we live in a time when employees are exploited by their employers with reckless abandon. Many organizations and business owners treat their workers in a dehumanizing way without any regard to their intrinsic values and dignity as those created in the image of God. We have seen cases of employees who were sacked from their job simply because they turned down the sexual advances from their bosses. There are also the cases of employees who were not given their due wage simply because they did not follow their personal bidding of their boss. Most employers have ended up turning their workers into slaves. All of these cases are pointers to the fact that many employees are passing through excruciating pain in their places of work as a result of the way they are being treated by those who have responsibility by law to take care of them.

The ethical treatment of employees is based on the following principles. The first is that human beings, made in the image of God possess intrinsic value and dignity which must be upheld and respected. On no account should an employee be seen as an object that must be used and exploited for the personal gain of the employer or the organization the person is working for. The dignity of every worker must be respected. The second principle follows from the contract and terms of employment of the worker. The contractual agreement must be respected. However, what happens over time is that most employers of labor fail to keep to these terms and bring in modifications to suit them and the company at the detriment of the employee. This must be stopped. The third principle is based on the understanding that the employee is not just a stranger to the company but by virtue of their employment, has now come to share in the mission and vision of the company and as such, must be seen as its valued member. It is only when this principle is respected that the company will begin to see the employee as one of its own. When the employee is sick for instance, the employer will do everything possible to ensure they recover speedily because they are seen as valued contributors to the growth of the company.

Lastly, let me reiterate that as an employer, it is both illegal and unethical to treat your employees the way you want. Every employer must be guided by the above-three principles while relating with their employees. If employers understand and apply these principles, there will be a good working-relationship between workers and their employers. Nobody wants to work in an unfriendly environment. Nobody wants to stay in a place where they are merely tolerated or treated without respect. The way employers treat their employees has a way of affecting the productivity and commitment of the employee to their duties and the affairs of the organization they are working for. If you want the best from your workers, treat them in a good way.

#MBA21