Being kind and understanding with employees can make for a comfortable workplace. But according to an Indian home decor shop owner, being too lenient with staff can sometimes create a situation where employees stop taking work rules seriously. Rohit Malhotra, who runs an All Home Decor Products business, recently shared a video on Instagram (@rohit_0filter) in which he spoke about his experience of managing a staff of eight people. He said all eight employees were absent from the shop at around 10:30 pm and used the situation to explain what he sees as the downside of being too accommodating with staff. “I have 8 members in my staff and you can check 8 out of 8 members, it’s 10:30 pm,” Malhotra said in the video. “It’s 10:30 pm and no one has come to the shop yet.”
“The biggest advantage taken of you for being lenient…”
Malhotra said he does not believe in abusing or mistreating his employees. He contrasted his approach with shopkeepers who, according to him, are harsh with their staff. “The biggest advantage taken of you for being lenient is that your staff will not listen to you,” he said. He added that he has seen shopkeepers abuse their employees but said that is not his nature. “I take care of my staff very well. Like I have seen many shopkeepers who abuse their staff, but I don’t have such a nature,” Malhotra said. However, he believes that treating employees well without maintaining clear boundaries can also create difficulties for a business. “But the biggest loss of being lenient is that your staff will not listen to you.”
“I am lenient, but I face a lot of loss”
Malhotra went on to describe what he said happens at his workplace when he is too flexible about timings. “If you keep your staff lenient, how does it work?” he asked. “I am lenient, but I face a lot of loss.” He then pointed to what he described as a regular problem during lunch breaks. “They have been coming from lunch for 2 hours,” he said. The video then shows one of the employees arriving at the shop. Malhotra pointed out the time and questioned how long the employee had been away. “Look, one of them is coming.” “He is coming now.” “Have you seen the time?”
“These are their daily excuses”
According to Malhotra, the problem is not limited to one particular day. He said employees regularly give different explanations for why they are late or why they have taken longer than expected. “These are their daily excuses,” he said. “Today I went here, today I went there.” Malhotra said that, in his experience, simply being kind and accommodating does not necessarily make employees more responsible. “No matter how lenient you are with them, they don’t feel any responsibility.” He ended the discussion by suggesting that he has observed this beyond his own workplace. “It’s everywhere.”
A businessman’s experience with managing staff
Malhotra’s comments are about the difficulties he says he has faced while being lenient with staff, particularly over attendance and lunch breaks. His argument is not that employers should mistreat workers. In fact, he specifically said that he takes care of his staff and does not have the habit of abusing them. Instead, his point is about the balance between being considerate towards employees and maintaining workplace discipline.
