Taking Care of Employees
One of the things I’ve learned early in my working life is that companies can and will take advantage of their employees. The first couple of companies I was with did exactly that. In the first, I was whored out for at least twice what I was getting paid. So did the next company. I was worked long hours, made promises about “future payouts,” (e.g. stock options), and generally not taken care of. I left these companies within a year or so. What’s interesting is: all of these companies were small, startup-type companies, or at least companies that still have that mentality. That isn’t to say big companies always take care of their employees either, but it seems like most of the work-related problems come from, as a friend of mine called it, f’ed up little companies.
That isn’t to say every company does this. I’m just a few days away from the five-year anniversary of working for my existing employer. The main reason I’m still there: they take care of me. They pay me well, actually listen to what I have to say, and are flexible when it comes to meeting my personal needs. They have made a long-term investment in me, as well as the co-workers around me. Consequently, we’ve made a long-term investment in them. Many members of my team have been around at least three years, many longer than I’ve been around.
