HighMountainLodge
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- Oct 31, 2009
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On the other side of the coin, we have a housekeeper/dishwasher who lives in our basement employee apartment. He started working for us last fall while studying for the Bar exam--which he took in February and learned that he passed just this May.
After a grueling winter high season, he took a vacation and spent some time with his girlfriend down in southern Colorado, and came back to discover that he had to take an "ethics" course before being admitted to the Colorado bar.
Would I give him an advance if he asked for one? Hell, yes. He's a meticulous cleaner, a fast, thorough, but slightly sloppy dish-washer (he's chipped more than his fair share of our restaurant-grade china), and he takes initiative when he sees other things that need doing around the Lodge (and the Good Lord knows there are enough of them).
When he came back from vacation, I asked him if he needed an advance. His eyes brightened, and he sort of admitted that he might to pay the outrageous tuition for his course.
When he tells me that amount, I will gladly cut the check.
In our experience, people with low paying jobs that can't support them--particularly in resort areas such as ours with a staggering cost of living--have learned how to work the system. We would never consider giving an advance to a brand-new employee, no matter how sad their story. But for a proven employee who had shown his/her worth, we'd happily do it.
The loyalty equation works both ways.
Tom
After a grueling winter high season, he took a vacation and spent some time with his girlfriend down in southern Colorado, and came back to discover that he had to take an "ethics" course before being admitted to the Colorado bar.
Would I give him an advance if he asked for one? Hell, yes. He's a meticulous cleaner, a fast, thorough, but slightly sloppy dish-washer (he's chipped more than his fair share of our restaurant-grade china), and he takes initiative when he sees other things that need doing around the Lodge (and the Good Lord knows there are enough of them).
When he came back from vacation, I asked him if he needed an advance. His eyes brightened, and he sort of admitted that he might to pay the outrageous tuition for his course.
When he tells me that amount, I will gladly cut the check.
In our experience, people with low paying jobs that can't support them--particularly in resort areas such as ours with a staggering cost of living--have learned how to work the system. We would never consider giving an advance to a brand-new employee, no matter how sad their story. But for a proven employee who had shown his/her worth, we'd happily do it.
The loyalty equation works both ways.
Tom