How a Simple Verse from Leviticus Still Applies
Often, we can look at the Bible and think, “Yeah, but that was thousands of years ago, times have change and that doesn’t apply anymore!” True, the Bible was written for a Middle Eastern audience a while back, but the concepts can still apply to our modern world.
Today, let’s look at Leviticus 19:13 – a couple of simple lines that don’t take much pondering to realize their implications, but something that seems to be largely ignored (especially by those companies that are an abomination).
“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.” Leviticus 19:13 (NIV)
Ancient Wisdom for Then and Now
Back when this was written, the labor force was different than it is today. A worker would work all day, and expect to be paid in the evening when the workday was done. It wasn’t this silly work for 2 weeks until you get paid (or in some cases, an entire month). If you hired someone and then said, “Oh, come back tomorrow and I’ll pay you in the morning.” It often meant that laborer didn’t have enough money to eat that night.
Today, we’re not really doing much better. Instead of daily struggles, it’s every other week or every month. Life has gotten expensive, and a lot of people live paycheck to paycheck. In a modern application, if you hire someone and then delay paying them, it can cause big problems and real harm.
Invest in Business Integrity
Employees and contractors remember how you treat them. Even after a couple of decades I still remember, and still fume, about bosses that I worked under that weren’t fair. I’ve had instances of delayed wages, get to that in a minute, but in the world today it’s getting harder and harder to be a cheapskate – especially in the digital age.
If you want your business to succeed, you have to do the right thing. Reputations spread quickly, and when a business treats employees unfairly, others quickly find out. It’s not difficult to do the right thing, but that investment will pay off.
Practical Applications of Ancient Wisdom in the Modern Day
How can someone in a leadership position act with integrity? Three easy takeaways here.
Be Prompt – When you agree to pay someone, pay them. Whether it’s a freelance writer, a contractor, or your staff, give them what they’ve earned.
Honor Agreements – If you agree to pay for a job, accept that sometimes the job is just done. Don’t go back and keep asking for more, don’t withhold pay over trivial matters. You agreed, make the contract complete.
Value People – When you do the right thing, rewards are greater. Short-term profit from withholding pay erodes trust and in the long-term the rewards won’t be there.
Alright, buckle up, story time! A few years ago I was hired by a company to write them a handful of blogs. The total cost was somewhere around $1,100 – not a huge amount, but not insignificant. I did the work, the work was uploaded to this company’s website, and I sent the invoice. I didn’t hear anything back for a few days, so I sent a follow-up.
Their reply, “We acknowledge this invoice, but we’re in a bit of a cash crunch right now, we’ll get you paid as soon as possible.”
Okay, weird considering this isn’t a huge bill. And for a large company this shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll give them grace. A month later, I sent the invoice, again the same message. Now I’m a bit irritated.
A month later, another invoice with an overdue notice. Same reply. Now I’m wondering how many paychecks the CEO has skipped because of this “cash crunch.”
This went on for about 5 months, and I realized they had paid for a prior project with their credit card. The information from that card was saved on the merchant processing site, but it was all there. I simply ran the credit card, put detailed notes in the receipt that this was 5 months overdue, thanks for your payment, etc. etc. and wiped my hands – done with that unscrupulous hoser.
Well, they filed a fraud charge, I got a charge-back. I put all the emails (including the multitude of emails that claimed “cash crunch”) and screenshots of how they had been using my work (legally it’s mine until they pay for it) on their website. Eventually I did get paid, but that company has found a way onto the list that I would never deal with again.
As a Writer Integrity Goes Both Ways
Until this point, we’re talking about showing integrity toward your worker by paying them on time (and treating them fairly).
It does, however, go both ways.
As a ghostwriter, I usually collect at least some payment up front. I’ve been burned plenty of times, and this is just how it has to be. But it also means that I have to show integrity while working on client’s projects. I don’t want my reputation ruined, so I’ll go above and beyond what they ask, so everyone is happy and satisfied.
Struggling to get your book written? Hire a ghostwriter! Find some time on my calendar and let’s talk about your project.