The one-sided reality of workplace loyalty

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Employers across industries demand loyalty from their employees, yet they operate under ‘at-will’ policies or impose ultimatums that undermine job security.

Loyalty should be a two-way street, but in practice, it is often one-sided and marked by duplicity and hypocrisy.

A recent case in Jamaica highlights this imbalance, where a hotel refuses to pay salary bonuses and is actively fighting against compensating workers what they are rightfully owed.

Meanwhile, the Government seems complicit, offering workers less than half of their due. This is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader trend where employers expect employees to go above and beyond, yet wages and benefits are squeezed through narrow loopholes disguised as ‘merit-based’ or ‘performance-based’ pay.

If businesses genuinely want loyalty and productivity, they must build it into their systems through fair wages, job security, and respect for workers’ rights. Instead, we have a system that, while offering some benefits, often mirrors exploitative labour conditions – only marginally better than servitude. True progress requires a shift towards equity, where workers are valued not just for their output, but for their humanity.

REV RENALDO C. MCKENZIE