Staff asking for more money to make ends meet

[Mike Hoxbig]

I did actually bring up the voting thing yesterday.
But I said "I'm not telling you who to vote for, but I will tell you who to not vote for - the ANC made this mess.."

I don't think it's appropriate to mix politics with work.

Irrespective of who they voted for - they ask for something, you can either approve or reject it. Keep it professional, just because they're blue collar workers doesn't mean they don't deserve the same courtesy as the rest of us.

Plenty of white collared employees could have voted ANC too, we don't know. Yet we don't go around treating them like they don't know any better...

 

[rietrot]

I don't think it's appropriate to mix politics with work.

Irrespective of who they voted for - they ask for something, you can either approve or reject it. Keep it professional, just because they're blue collar workers doesn't mean they don't deserve the same courtesy as the rest of us.

Plenty of white collared employees could have voted ANC too, we don't know. Yet we don't go around treating them like they don't know any better...

People need to be educated for their own benifit and that of the company.

 

[grok]

No, that is just downright BS...

A persons political affiliation should have zero bearing on whether they get an increase or not....

This is not an increase, it's a bonus they've asked for to make ends meet due to the increased petrol price..

 

[maumau]

Boss has approved the increase of R50 per week. Total cost to the compay = R1677.00 per month. It's not going to hurt us really.
But we will give a memo asking staff to go the extra mile in doing certain things.

1) Saving on electricity, lights and heaters
2) Keeping work areas clean and neat
3) Looking after company equipment
4) Reducing wastage.
5) Increased vigilance in terms of Security.

So, we're going to go ahead with it.

Nice - particularly that it's give and take.

Hope there's a way of monitoring the above so it's not ignored when the pay increase comes through.

 

[ToxicBunny]

This is not an increase, it's a bonus they've asked for to make ends meet due to the increased petrol price..

Even that... their political affiliation or choices should have no bearing on it.

 

[ProfA]

Boss has approved the increase of R50 per week. Total cost to the compay = R1677.00 per month. It's not going to hurt us really.
But we will give a memo asking staff to go the extra mile in doing certain things.

1) Saving on electricity, lights and heaters
2) Keeping work areas clean and neat
3) Looking after company equipment
4) Reducing wastage.
5) Increased vigilance in terms of Security.

So, we're going to go ahead with it.

Your company is setting a very dangerous precedent. Your company is going to regret making these type of decisions including the double inflation increases in the future. Guaranteed.

 

[AstroTurf]

So the staff asked for a meeting yesterday with management.
Basic complaint is that they can't make ends meet with all the recent fuel increases.
Now, we consider ourselves already paying a generous salary.
When I put the staff positions into this website https://www.payscale.com/index/ZA
Our staff show up as earning more than the average industry positions.
Most of our guys are unskilled machine minders trained specifically for this job.
They also get many other perks, like interest free loans, leniency on sick days and strike days, etc.
So if we add another R200 per month for them, it's going to increase the salary bill for the company by another R2000 per month.
(and most of them were already given above average increases in March - like 10 to 12%).

It probably won't kill us to do this, but are we creating unrealistic expectations by doing this?

Give them quarterly "no leave days taken" bonuses and kill two birds with one stone.

 

[ProfA]

I did actually bring up the voting thing yesterday.
But I said "I'm not telling you who to vote for, but I will tell you who to not vote for - the ANC made this mess.."

Seems stupid decisions are a thing at your workplace. You really don't see the problem in telling subordinates who NOT to vote for? Do I really need to explain the **** storm it could create? Really?

 

[cerebus]

They'll just ask again next time the fuel increases

This. You're setting a bad precedent, IMO. Increases should be performance or profit related, adjusted annually to take inflation into account. If fuel costs notch up another r2 by the end of the year are you going to add another r50 to their wages?

 

[Drake2007]

This will come back to bite your company on the arse.

 

[cerebus]

Seems stupid decisions are a thing at your workplace. You really don't see the problem in telling subordinates who NOT to vote for? Do I really need to explain the **** storm it could create? Really?

+1. What the hell man? You can't bring the ANC into this conversation. Now it's going to turn into a race thing as well.

 

[ISP cash cow]

Give them quarterly "no leave days taken" bonuses and kill two birds with one stone.

^this

This way you can improve production (because they are not off sick) or alternatively they carry on taking sick days and you don't lose any money.

 

[ProfA]

+1. What the hell man? You can't bring the ANC into this conversation. Now it's going to turn into a race thing as well.

Perfect bargaining tool for the next time they demand an increase to "make ends meet"

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Anyway back on topic, if I agreed to this, I would have formalised it as a discretionary bonus and made everyone sign an addendum to their contract to its effect. So R200 x 12 per person, once off...

 

[ProfA]

Give them quarterly "no leave days taken" bonuses and kill two birds with one stone.

You realise how bad of an idea this is for "poor" people right? You will have sick and potentially contagious people pitching for work endangering themselves and others to get that bonus.

 

[Sly21C]

It's gonna set a precedent for mid-year increases whenever fuel prices go up.

This....

 

[maumau]

Anyway back on topic, if I agreed to this, I would have formalised it as a discretionary bonus and made everyone sign an addendum to their contract to its effect. So R200 x 12 per person, once off...

Is it a once-off?

Thought it was an increase i.e. next year the R50 per week becomes R56, then R62 etc......if their annual increases are 12%.

 

[crackersa]

Can OP negotiate with some local businesses to get discounts on some items for the employees?

 

[WaxLyrical]

It's tough for everyone.
Let them suck it up until next increase is due.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

They'll just ask again next time the fuel increases

I once got a salary adjustment due to sudden increase in cost of living. It made a big difference even though it was also just a small amount. I was earning a basic wage back then.