Bernie Reifkind saw his employee sobbing at her desk one morning. Immediately, this CEO knew that he had to do something.
We all know how hard it is to go to work and cater to your familyโs needs, right? Being a mother who takes care of your children while making sure that you are still an efficient and effective employee is a tough job!
Itโs not unusual for working moms to go to work sleep-deprived but they have bills to pay so they have to endure. Though, sometimes, things get a little more challenging just like what happened to this one employee.
Bernie Reifkind is an L.A.-based CEO for the recruiting company Premier Search. One day, he posted something on his LinkedIn account that became viral. The reason is that people admired his sincerity in responding to one of his employees who was clearly burnt-out.
Reifkind shared that around 7:45 am, he saw his employee sobbing, clearly very tired with bags under her eyes. She wasnโt just exhausted; she was very sad.
He asked her what happened and this employee explained that her child was sick but she still has to go to work because she no longer has sick days to use. So, even if she didnโt have enough sleep and was tired because she had to take care of her child, she knew she had to go to work. She canโt afford to lose her job.
Most of us can surely relate to this womanโs situation. Itโs hard enough to leave your sick child home and to go to work but itโs harder not to be able to concentrate because you are just too tired.
โI sent her home and promised that she would get paid. In addition, I wrote her a check on the spot for extra money to alleviate her immediate financial worry. She was incredibly grateful. To this day, she is my best employee not just because of her talent but her loyalty,โ Bernie said in his post.
This CEO isnโt just good at running a successful business; he knew how to take care of his employees as well.
Most employees canโt afford to skip work because not only do they fear being fired, they will skip a dayโs salary and thatโs already a big deal especially if you have a sick child.
Along with his post, Bernie shares an important message to his fellow employers.
โEmployers, please understand that most people are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Burning the candle at both ends. Trying to make ends meet. Kids, homework, spouses, significant others, elder parents, mortgage payments, auto repairs, etc. The relentlessness of life. People are worried about their jobs. PLEASE reassure your hard-working employees that their jobs are secure, whenever possible. Loyalty goes both ways.โ
The netizens felt how sincere Bernie was for his good deed and shared that every employer should learn from this beautiful story.
Our employees are also people who deserve our understanding and our sympathy, after all, they are the ones who are helping us reach our goals.
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