A Letter From Your Employer.

[jdmidwest]

To All My Valued Employees, There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however,is the changing political landscape in this country.*

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

Signed, Your boss

[Gavin]

I'd be glad to own a company pitched out enough income to require me to pay a $1M dollars a year in taxes...Figure that would give me another $1M to spend and invest, and a net worth in the 10M+ range. Pretty easy to do an Altas Shrugged when your in that boat.

[fishinwrench]

Dear Boss,

Since you openly acknowledge that although I don't "mentally" check in until noon, if it's ok with you and as long as the profit margin remains in the green, I'll start donating the first 3-4 hours of each day to a better cause outside of the corporation where my time will be of more value to someone.

I'm sorry that you had trouble finding dates and enjoyable hobbies when you were younger, and I understand that claiming it was a chosen sacrifice helps to ease the dis-satisfaction of a life ill spent because of your obvious personality disorders and unbearable halitosis. Maybe if you had went ahead and married the fat chick from college that you really liked but were ashamed to be seen with she could have inspired you to eat better and not be so afraid of occaisional risks.

We all know that the only reason you drove that old car until the wheels fell off was because you were too much of a sissy to attempt a clutch replacement and do a little body work. And by the way...it wasn't a Toyota Corolla, it was a Mazda that your Dad bought for you and even paid your insurance premiums. Seems like I remember that Daddy also paid the rent for that studio apartment just to keep you from moving back home.

Maybe you could hire someone to run this business for half of what you net per year, pocket the rest, buy a secluded 2 bedroom home in the country somewhere and become a fictional writer.

Signed, Your "valued" empoyee.

[FishinCricket]

Wow..

Great OP JDMidwest

Fantastic rebuttal, fishingwrench! (did you write that yourself?)

[fishinwrench]

Used to work for a guy just like "the boss".

[Thom]

Used to work for a guy just like "the boss".

So did I.

when Guys like described in JD's tirade failed they just retired them with a golden parachute and brought up another one of their buddies to fail again.

They wanted me to lie to the hourly work force about the state of the company while upper level management continued to poorly manage the business. When my employees (hourly or first line supervisors) failed or made a mistake I was asked to discipline them or fire them if possible. While the upper management wrecked the corporation by giving their good ole boys executives buddies a golden parachute retirement of millions for making drastic mistakes and miscalculations.

Now they are asking the government to bail them out and restructure ..... EVERYTHING BUT EXECUTIVE BONUSES, RETIREMENTS AND STOCK OPTIONS.

Once when I asked why the salaried lower level retirement programs were being underfunded I was asked to never ask that question again in a salaried meeting. The same exec had said at the beginning of the meeting we want to be open and honest with you. I discovered why just recently when the government fined GM for cooking the books with retirement write offs and other unqualified defficets to show higher profits 3 years ago. Most salaried benifits have recently been taken away or drasticallly reduced for retirees. The majority of these were hard working employees that had given loyaly above and beyond for years while being told trust the system. They were told that it would never happen if they just would bite the bullet for a while. During that same period I attended a plant managers meeting in Detroit and was a participant in presentations at a hotel where several banquet rooms were rented serving unlimited food, drinks and services. Business expense ..... they sat around all evening drinking, eating and playing cards. During that time I learned that the merit raises were being reduced for my first line supervisor and of course I needed to explain to them why the business was in such bad shape. DUH

I will guaratee you that none of those upper level execs retired less than millionaires ......they were the ones who wrecked the company with terrible decisions. Of course they laid it on the backs of the govt regulation, union, and foriegn manufacturers.

[DaddyO]

Interesting post and interesting comments. Along with 3 other partners, I own a couple of small businesses in the Tulsa, OK area. We have been diligently working to grow our businesses. None of the partners were born with a silver spoon in our mouths. We have worked hard to be where we are.

It is true that there is generally a "back story". My partners and I have all had to put our homes on the line to secure loans to grow our company. We have since, retired those loans. There have been times that we have lived off of our credit cards because we couldn't afford to pay ourselves and pay our employees so we chose our employees over ourselves. I can remember going 6 months without taking any money home. Of the 4 partners, 2 of us have taken other jobs and taken the burden of our salaries off of the company. Our choice was to layoff some of our "valued employees" or layoff ourselves. We chose to layoff ourselves and try to lookout for the best interest of our "valued employees" and their families.

Based on some of the comments I've seen posted, I'm guessing that our management style is not the norm. We are all Christian men and we value God and Family. We view our "valued employees" as assets and I'm happy to say that they are as fiercely loyal to us as we are to them.

Our business has been blessed and we are in a growth state during a down economy. I pray that it continues to follow that trend and that we can offer employment and stability to other families.

Regards,

DaddyO

[brownieman]

Good for you DaddyO,

I think a decent boss is harder to find than a decent employee...sounds like you have earned the respect of yours...that is worth alot...kudos for you.

[bigredbirdfan]

This capitalism, free market stuff sounds way to complicated and requires way to much effort. Besides everyone can risk their houses and wordly possessions to become "the boss" any time they wish and be whatever kind of boss they want to be.

[bigredbirdfan]

helps to ease the dis-satisfaction of a life ill spent because of your obvious personality disorders and unbearable halitosis.

Maybe if you had went ahead and married the fat chick from college that you really liked but were ashamed to be seen with

and become a fictional writer

ROTFL. You made my day fishinwrench