By cutting out the high-temperature allowance, be careful of chilling the employees’ hearts

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Although the Start of Autumn season has passed, the autumn heat remains intense. In many places, the sun is scorching and the heat is unbearable; many people continue to work despite this heat wave, yet a \"heat allowance\" still seems like something nice to have. Even if it is possible to do so, companies will be very cautious about it, and may even need to make \"adjustments\" based on the number of hot days and working hours. (See China Work Safety Network, August 17) Whenever the weather gets hot, people start talking about heat allowances and subsidies for high temperatures. Yet year after year there are complaints about the heat and the difficulties faced, but no actual money is provided! Some companies argue that the current economic downturn makes things difficult, and that labor costs represent a heavy burden for them. But even during times when the economy was doing well in previous years, not many companies paid their employees such benefits and subsidies as heat allowances as required by regulations. So please stop using excuses like \"reducing burdens\" to deceive the public. The author believes that one should not \"give up the big fish for a small gain\" and risk losing more by focusing on trivial matters; although it saves a little on heating costs, it harms the morale of employees. Once someone comes to poach talent, it’s hard to say whether the capable people and skilled workers will choose to follow those who offer them better conditions, just as wise ministers choose a ruler to serve. By then, it will be too late; no matter how good your business is or how many orders you have, there won’t be anyone in the company to handle them, and in the end it will be the owner who suffers losses! A few days ago, I read an article about a worker who had worked abroad for many years, saved some money, and returned to his hometown to start a barbecue restaurant. What’s important is that he brought advanced management skills from the big city with him. For example, he offered high commissions to the master chefs in the kitchen; while others were reluctant to give them such amounts, he was very generous. As a result, the business grew better and better. He also often took these chefs with him to try different foods, and upon returning they would work together to analyze their recipes and seasonings. The master chefs said that working for him not only meant higher earnings but also a happier mood. On the contrary, there’s another example: a few days ago, during those extremely hot days, some colleagues had air conditioners installed at their homes. Two technicians said that the company assigned them over ten jobs in just one day; although they were paid per job, it was still too much for them to handle. Moreover, they didn’t receive any compensation for working in such hot conditions. The boss reaped most of the profits, while they only got a meager wage as payment for their hard work. While working, the two of them discussed, “I heard that XXX mall is urgently looking for air conditioner installers, and the pay is quite good.” “Let’s give them a call to find out more details.” Nowadays, we no longer have the advantage of a large workforce or abundant human resources as before. If we keep trying to cut costs by exploiting our employees, such as by not giving or giving less compensation for working in hot conditions, then the hotter the weather, the more dissatisfied the employees will become. Eventually, they might quit their jobs, leaving the company helpless despite having many orders to fulfill. By then, it will become clear who fired whom!