3.c.vii
The bossman finally
relented and asked the receptionist to show Emily from Human Resources in.
He’d kept her
waiting for over twenty-five minutes already.
Emily was a
slim woman with short, pixie-like hair.
He distrusted slim corporate types.
Their physique conveyed a lack of greed and a surplus of principles that
typically made them an irritant. This
stereotype was wholly untrue as he’d met a great deal of trim, narcissistic
money-grubbers in his time, as well as some annoyingly honest, chubby angels,
but the bossman still maintained his ill conceived wariness.
“You never
called me back so I though an in person–”
“Yes, what is
it, I’m very busy,” the bossman said.
“I’ve come
across a payroll issue in regards to an employee’s salary,” she said.
“No.”
“No what?”
“No
raises. Our hours-based, incremental
wage increases are fair enough. Too
generous if you want my opinion,” the bossman said and then turned away as though
the matter had been dealt with sufficiently.
“That’s not
the issue at all,” said Emily, her voice betraying a certain level of
frustration she would rather keep concealed from her boss.
“Explain,”
said the bossman.
“I’m trying.”
“Then
continue.”
Emily’s head
shook of its own accord and her eyes threatened to roll. She gritted her teeth and then said, “I was
at an employee’s desk getting the incremental paperwork signed and he
questioned me about the amount.”
“Tell him it’s
a fair–”
Emily held up
her hand and the bossman stopped talking.
He seemed a little surprised by his own compliance.
Emily
continued, “According to the paperwork he had earned a level two status, but
the wage increase put him at a level five.
He pointed this out to me and asked if the raise should be for a lower
amount. I looked into it. He was a transfer from a different division
and his previously logged hours were, for some reason, not factored in when he
started here. He was, therefore, given
the entry level wage and the incremental status of level one. He worked under the assumption that because
he had entered a different division, his wage level started over. But, since level one in our division had a
higher wage than the level three of his former position, he hadn’t questioned
the apparent loss of hours worked. But
his status should not have restarted and not only should he be given the
incremental status of level five, he should also receive retro pay dating back
to his transfer date. I have all the
paperwork here. I just need your
signature.”
The bossman
narrowed his eyes. This was just the
sort of thing he didn’t want the Big Bossman seeing. Approving large raises and forking over back
pay. He shook his head.
“No. We keep him at level two and decrease the
raise accordingly.”
“What? That’s unethical.”
“That’s
business. The employee in question
believes that his wage should be level two.
In fact, it’s what he was expecting so it’s not like he’ll miss those
extra dollars that may or may not belong to him.”
“They do
belong–”
This time it
was the bossman who held up his hand and Emily exhibiting the compliant
silence. After allowing the pain in his
ribs to subside he said, “Always pay your employees as little as they are
willing to accept. There is no reason to
give them more money if they are willing to work for less.”
He waved Emily
toward the door and, as soon as she was gone, he began calculating how much
money he’d just saved the company and how much that savings would increase his
next bonus.
