Prov. 3:27-30
This set of proverbs is not specifically about work, but I think it's very applicable. Don't withhold good from those who deserve it when it's within your power to act. In other words, if you can help someone, do it. All work can be isolating from time to time, especially in workplaces that foster competition and pit coworker against coworker. That can create the temptation that you can ignore the needs of others while working on your tasks. This proverb counters that to some extent. If it's within your power to help someone, do it.
Don't say to your neighbor, "Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you then," when you now have it with you. I kind of see this as a "pay what you owe" to people proverb as well as fulfilling other commitments. God saw this as important even as He gave the Law to the Israelites in the desert. Just like you should not withhold good from others, you shouldn't try to get out of paying what they have worked for.
Finally, don't plan to harm a neighbor who trusts you and has done you know harm. In business, people sometimes feel the need to get ahead of someone else and will preemptively strike them so that the other person doesn't have time to anticipate the attack. This proverb is saying, don't do that. If people are working and at peace with you, don't plot to backstab them.
Interesting thoughts for daily life in general, but particularly insightful as one applies them to work.
Showing posts with label Wages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wages. Show all posts
Friday, October 15, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Pay People What You Owe Them
James 5:4
"Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty." Pretty strong language, particularly if you supervise others. The context of this passage is a warning to the rich who got that way on the backs of the poor, one of the consistent themes in James. The application has to do with what it means to be a good supervisor or manager. Pay people what you owe them. It's unfortunate, but I hear stories of managers and owners trying to find loopholes to avoid paying their employees the money for which they've worked. James is saying, pay what you owe to your workers.
It's a little bit more of a stretch, but this might be extrapolated to say, pay a wage that your workers can live with. There is a lot of talk these days about a living wage, which recognizes that minimum wage is usually not enough to live on, particularly with a family. As I said, it's not explicitly mentioned here, but I think this living wage is very consistent with the overall message--don't try to increase what you have by not giving your workers the pay they deserve.
"Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty." Pretty strong language, particularly if you supervise others. The context of this passage is a warning to the rich who got that way on the backs of the poor, one of the consistent themes in James. The application has to do with what it means to be a good supervisor or manager. Pay people what you owe them. It's unfortunate, but I hear stories of managers and owners trying to find loopholes to avoid paying their employees the money for which they've worked. James is saying, pay what you owe to your workers.
It's a little bit more of a stretch, but this might be extrapolated to say, pay a wage that your workers can live with. There is a lot of talk these days about a living wage, which recognizes that minimum wage is usually not enough to live on, particularly with a family. As I said, it's not explicitly mentioned here, but I think this living wage is very consistent with the overall message--don't try to increase what you have by not giving your workers the pay they deserve.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Pay People What You Owe Them
Leviticus 19:13
cf Deut. 24:14-15
In a list of ordinances for how the Israelites should live, God includes this instruction: "Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight." Later, God refers to such behavior as taking "advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy." It didn't matter whether the hired man in this case was a fellow Israelite or a foreigner--God's people were not to withhold the wages that were due to the worker. This falls under the idea of being a good supervisor and treating workers fairly. I think an appropriate application might be to pay workers a fair wage. Thinking more broadly, this could also refer to giving credit or praise to those who are due them in a timely manner.
cf Deut. 24:14-15
In a list of ordinances for how the Israelites should live, God includes this instruction: "Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight." Later, God refers to such behavior as taking "advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy." It didn't matter whether the hired man in this case was a fellow Israelite or a foreigner--God's people were not to withhold the wages that were due to the worker. This falls under the idea of being a good supervisor and treating workers fairly. I think an appropriate application might be to pay workers a fair wage. Thinking more broadly, this could also refer to giving credit or praise to those who are due them in a timely manner.
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