Is it wrong for a business to be “like family?” We take a deeper look into this idea.
It is an understatement to say that the job market hasn’t been easy in the private or public sectors in the last decade or two. While finding a job is one matter, especially for Gen Z, finding a job with a good company is another challenge. It’s a common idea these days that businesses that say they are “like a family” are red flags, but are they? Let’s break down this topic fairly.
How Treating Workers “Like Family” Can Be Bad
What does it mean to be a family? If your company says that it is one big family, the risk is that employers will exploit their employees to work extra on a whim, and usually unpaid. Treating the company like a family could translate to slavery rather than support. Employers could manipulate employees into feeling like they should be willing to do anything for their “family” because they are family.
How Treating Workers “Like Family” Can Be Good
There is another side to this coin to consider. Referring to one’s company as “family” could also translate to a professional community where employers look out for their employees’ good and employees are loyal to their employers and the customers they serve. This kind of company respects each other’s boundaries, looks out for each other’s needs, and is loyal to each other. Ultimately, everyone cares about the work they do, which has a real purpose.
More Than about Employee Retention
Employers would naturally want their employees to be loyal, but it’s a fine line between loyalty meaning respect for the employer and work and slavery to the point of burnout and unfair wages. Employee loyalty is valuable in the former sense; loyal employees will care about their work, do their best, and not want to badmouth the employers. In addition to a team with integrity, companies also benefit from the cost savings that employee retention offers.
Is a Business That’s “Like a Family” a Red Flag?
In previous decades, fostering loyalty and a family feel among coworkers was a good goal. Sadly, corruption is real. If you aren’t sure what a given company means by it, you should ask to clarify rather than jumping to conclusions.
What Else Fosters Employee Loyalty? Great Work Uniforms!
If you’re an employer, one way to look out for your employees, customers, and business is to rent, lease, or purchase work uniforms that meet your industry’s standards and company branding. If you’re looking in Maryland, Lord Baltimore Uniform Rental (which has a long average tenure of 15 years) is here for you!
Trust Your Employee Uniforms to the Professionals at Lord Baltimore
For over forty years, Lord Baltimore has provided cost-effective uniform rental services throughout the East Coast, including Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
To learn more about how employee uniforms can help your business, please contact Joe Bateman at Lord Baltimore by calling 800-292-1224 or visit LordBaltimoreUniform.com. We also handle uniform and mat rentals and purchases for restaurants. Additionally, we also sell and rent uniforms, shop towels, fender covers, and mats for the manufacturing and automotive industries.