I work at a gas station part time to supplement my freelance graphic design work. In the slow times, it’s saved my ass. But my boss at the gas station, Dave, is just a good man. I’ve done some excel work for him to organize his books (which he paid me $30/hr for) and he does not live a lavish life. He takes home about $3500 a month. He pays all his employees a couple dollars above minimum wage. He doesn’t have enough employees to really offer benefits but he’s personally helped me get my teeth fixed. Dave drives an aging Nissan Leaf. When I wanted a month off over christmas to visit my girlfriend in another country, he didn’t even hesitate to say yes. He even apologized for not being able to pay me for that time. For Christmas and birthdays, he often will offer $100 in the form of gift cards that aren’t even for his business. (He can probably write them off, but its still nice.) He has backed me in every single altercation with a customer, even when a customer lied to Dave and told him I called the customer a terrorist. (I did however call the customer an asshole.)
If Dave could afford to give me a lavish life working for him, he’d obviously get himself and his family there first, but he’d be quick to lift up his employees shortly behind him. If I could afford to work for Dave for the rest of my life, I would.
I imagine Dave could do even better, and some of you will pick this post apart, but Dave does way more than any boss I’ve ever had.