Raising babies is expensive. They don’t eat much, but if for some reason you have to use formula instead of breastfeeding, it’s quite pricey. There’s also the expense of diapers and other things a baby needs. Most employers give employees what the law requires to help with having a new baby, and most provide little else. For example, employers are legally obligated to give employees maternity leave but aren’t required to go beyond the six weeks required by law. Also, if an employee has moved recently and is new to your company, it’s unlikely you’ll catch your employer chipping in to cover your expenses. However, working for a small company can be different. The owners of the company are more directly connected to their employees. In the story below, we can see that clearly illustrated. We don’t know if this story is true, but it’s been circulating online and is too good to not pass on.
I’ve worked all of 5 days for him, and he hired me to be the GM of one of his small stores. Bummed a smoke off him and went outside to call my wife. We were stressing because we have no savings after moving from Alaska to California, payday isn’t till the 25th, and my 6-month-old daughter needed formula. Apparently he had come out to smoke with me and overheard the problem. I needed gas to get to work but she needed formula and we had the money for neither.
Boss didn’t say anything, but later in the day, he asked to borrow the truck I’m driving for a delivery since his wife had theirs. I told him I didn’t have any gas he said he’d put in what he used. When he brought the truck back there were 5 of the large containers of formula on the back seat, a full tank of gas, and $500 on the center console. He told me to consider it a hiring bonus and if it wasn’t enough just tell him and he’ll take care of it and that as long as I worked for him that offer stands.
First time working for a small privately-owned company (only like 10 employees) and I absolutely am floored by this.
