Despite the numerous problems our country is facing, many Filipinos cannot help being caught up in the spirit of the Christmas season: putting up decorations, seeing friends and relatives, exchanging gifts, buying new clothes.
The merry atmosphere allows them to endure the not-so-good aspects that come with the holidays: The horrific traffic, difficulty in getting public transportation, exorbitant ride-hailing surges, and choosy cab drivers, among others.
For ordinary employees in the private sector, one of the highlights of the season is the receipt of an amount greater than their usual monthly take-home pay – at the very least, their 13th month pay, which under the law must be given no later than December 24th of each year. Some companies, especially if they are profitable or feeling charitable, go beyond this minimum requirement and give an extra month’s – or several’s – worth of salary.
But even the barest legal requirement can do much to alleviate shortfalls that may have accumulated over the months, or shore up savings that had been depleted due to emergencies, or add a viand or two to the usual holiday fare on the table. Only those devoid of genuine charity and compassion will break the law or make their employees wait for something they need so badly.
It is also a given that conscientious employers provide basic benefits as well as adequate and timely salaries to their people even without prodding, so that they can subsist decently and have a semblance of order in their lives.
Aside from these, employers are also expected to act on special cases with fairness and urgency. For example, complaints of sexual harassment—or any other inappropriate behavior—should be taken seriously instead of swept under the rug. Perpetrators, whatever their position is in the organization, should not be allowed to make light of accusations and treat the matter as a joke or a given. This only leaves victims to feel disempowered and helpless, and propagates a culture of misogyny and power-tripping among those in power.
Christmas is a time for thanksgiving, whatever one’s religious affiliations might be. Employees are no doubt thankful that they have jobs to go to every day, and that they get to contribute something meaningful to the bigger picture. Conversely, employers can best show their sincerity by acknowledging that people are their most valuable assets. They give their best work, day after day, and persevere despite hardships. At the very least, employers should not stay in their ivory towers. They should listen, and listen hard to their people’s pulse.
We are most ourselves when we are with people nearest us, and who we are is determined by how we treat those we come in contact with every day. Real charity begins at home—everywhere else might just be for show.
