Work

<p>There is a myth that a meaner, stricter bosses contribute to better employee performance which yields more revenue. But treating your employees with kindness can actually benefit everyone involved&mdash;including the &quot;bottom line.&quot; A boss shared a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb" target="_blank">story on LinkedIn</a> that illustrates this point perfectly, and it went viral.</p><h2>The boss, named Bernie Reifkind, says that when he saw an employee &quot;silently sobbing at her desk&quot; at 7:45 am, he found out that her child was sick and she&#39;d run out of sick days. So he sent her home with an extra sick day to care for her kid and get some rest.</h2><blockquote> <p>Silently she was sobbing at her desk, early at about 7:45 AM. I asked her if everything was OK? She told me that her child was sick and that she had been up all night. Bags under her eyes. I asked her &ldquo;So, what are you doing here at the office?&rdquo; She said that she had run out of &ldquo;sick days&rdquo; and could not afford to miss another day. I sent her home and promised that she would get paid. In addition, I wrote her a check on the spot for extra money to alleviate her immediate financial worry. She was incredibly grateful.</p> </blockquote><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>Running out of sick days is a common problem for working moms (and some dads)&mdash;who often need sick days for themselves as well as their kids. The way this boss handled it is a lesson in empathy that paid off both karmically, and financially. Not only did Reifkind get to feel good for having done the right thing, but his empathetic gesture ultimately benefitted him&mdash;and his company&mdash;as well.</p><h2>He says the grateful woman went on to become his best employee, &quot;not just because of her talent but her loyalty.&quot;</h2><p>He encourages other bosses to show empathy towards their employees&mdash;not just moms, but anyone struggling with &quot;carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.&quot;</p><blockquote> <p>To this day, she is my best employee not just because of her talent but her loyalty. Employers, please understand that most people are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Burning the candle at both ends. Trying to make ends meet. Kids, homework, spouses, significant others, elder parents, mortgage payments, auto repairs, etc. The relentlessness of life. People are worried about their jobs. PLEASE reassure your hard working employees that their jobs are secure, whenever possible. Loyalty goes both ways.</p> </blockquote><div className="ad-splitter"></div><h2>The post got thousands of likes and comments and is being praised as a rare example of someone running a company with this level of empathy.</h2><figure class="image"><div class="image-container"><img alt="" data-attribution="LinkedIn" data-attribution-url="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb/" height="97" src="//cdn.someecards.com/posts/screen-shot-2019-11-15-at-120607-pm-21n5sd.png" width="470" /></div> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="image-attribution"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb/">LinkedIn</a></div></figure><div className="ad-splitter"></div><figure class="image"><div class="image-container"><img alt="" data-attribution="LinkedIn" data-attribution-url="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb/" height="128" src="//cdn.someecards.com/posts/screen-shot-2019-11-15-at-120619-pm-3Omvuc.png" width="460" /></div> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="image-attribution"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb/">LinkedIn</a></div></figure><div className="ad-splitter"></div><figure class="image"><div class="image-container"><img alt="" data-attribution="LinkedIn" data-attribution-url="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb/" height="124" src="//cdn.someecards.com/posts/screen-shot-2019-11-15-at-120652-pm-HWnqme.png" width="465" /></div> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="image-attribution"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/berniereifkind_silently-she-was-sobbing-at-her-desk-early-activity-6570352295358410752-NsIb/">LinkedIn</a></div></figure><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>Bosses: are you reading this? If so, be the Bernie Reifkind you want to see in the world. Also, a four-day work week, please!!!!!!!! I&#39;ll never cry at my desk again.</p><div className="ad-splitter"></div>

Boss shares story about how mom who got extra sick day to care for child became his best employee.

There is a myth that a meaner, stricter bosses contribute to better employee performance which yields more revenue. But treating your employees with kindness can actually benefit everyone involved&mdash;including the &quot;bottom line.&quot; A boss shared a story on LinkedIn that illustrates this point perfectly, and it went viral.The boss, named Bernie Reifkind, says that when he saw an employee &quot;silently sobbing at her desk&quot; at 7:45 am, he found out that her child was sick and she&#39;d run out of sick days. So he sent her home with an extra sick day to care for her kid and get some rest. Silently she was sobbing at her desk, early at about 7:45 AM. I asked her if everything was OK? She told me that her child was sick and that she had been up all night. Bags under her eyes. I asked her &ldquo;So, what are you doing here at the office?&rdquo; She said that she had run out of &ldquo;sick days&rdquo; and could not afford to miss another day. I sent her home and promised that she would get paid. In addition, I wrote her a check on the spot for extra money to alleviate her immediate financial worry. She was incredibly grateful. Running out of sick days is a common problem for working moms (and some dads)&mdash;who often need sick days for themselves as well as their kids. The way this boss handled it is a lesson in empathy that paid off both karmically, and financially. Not only did Reifkind get to feel good for having done the right thing, but his empathetic gesture ultimately benefitted him&mdash;and his company&mdash;as well.He says the grateful woman went on to become his best employee, &quot;not just because of her talent but her loyalty.&quot;He encourages other bosses to show empathy towards their employees&mdash;not just moms, but anyone struggling with &quot;carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.&quot; To this day, she is my best employee not just because of her talent but her loyalty. Employers, please understand that most people are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Burning the candle at both ends. Trying to make ends meet. Kids, homework, spouses, significant others, elder parents, mortgage payments, auto repairs, etc. The relentlessness of life. People are worried about their jobs. PLEASE reassure your hard working employees that their jobs are secure, whenever possible. Loyalty goes both ways. The post got thousands of likes and comments and is being praised as a rare example of someone running a company with this level of empathy.  LinkedIn  LinkedIn  LinkedInBosses: are you reading this? If so, be the Bernie Reifkind you want to see in the world. Also, a four-day work week, please!!!!!!!! I&#39;ll never cry at my desk again.

There is a myth that a meaner, stricter bosses contribute to better employee performance which yields more revenue. But treating your employees with kindness can actually benefit everyone involved&mdash;including the &quot;bottom...