By Steve Moran
A while back in our Senior Living Leadership Facebook Group, we asked this question:
Tell me about a time you helped a coworker in need …
If you were ever feeling cynical about the senior living industry, you will not be after reading these responses.
Get Your Tissues Out
“I helped a fellow employee who was raped get through months of self-blame and tears. We’d go into an office and she would just melt down. Mostly it was listening and trying to get her to understand whose fault it really was. Terrible period of time, but glad I could be of some help.”
“I gave up some days of my leave to a coworker who needed surgery but didn’t have enough hours accrued to have his leave covered.”
“Provided gift cards for food shopping for a co-worker that was dying.”
“My team and I spent two days working on a Habitat for Humanity house one of our staff was working to acquire for herself and her children. It was a secret until the dedication of the house. Beautiful and meaningful.”
“I worked several shifts as a household caregiver at one of our memory support AL buildings the last couple months because they were short-staffed. I’ve never worked as a caregiver before.”
“I had a CNA that had to quit her job close to Christmas for health reasons. When she came into my office to tell me, I wrote her a check to cover Christmas for her kids that year.”
“I sent gift cards anonymously to an employee I had to let go of because I knew she needed the help to sustain her. And wanted her to have hope.”
“I gave my guest bedroom furniture to a colleague who lost everything in a fire.”
“I loan employees stretch dollars to get them to payday so they don’t have to go to PayDay Loan (Sharks) and pay exorbitant interest. I always get paid back.”
“I paid the car payment for a team member so she didn’t lose her car.”
“I paid rent for a co-worker and never asked for her to return it.”
“Held a fundraiser for a colleague who had large medical bills due to his daughter’s leukemia. She is okay today, the $10K we raised went a long way.”
“I am a social worker. Today I just made all of the beds that I passed by that weren’t done because a CNA called out.”
Now, how about you tell us what you did to help a coworker out.
