A founder’s LinkedIn post about a week long salary delay at her company has sparked a discussion online, with social media users debating the responsibilities of employers and employees.
The conversation began when LinkedIn user Geetika Kaushik shared her views on the pressures founders face when business targets are missed and salaries are delayed. Referring to a recent incident, she said employees questioned job security after receiving their salaries seven days late.
Employer shares concern
“Employees came forward and said: ‘We are not getting job security here. Salary is getting delayed. How will we survive?’ And they were right. They have families. EMIs. Responsibilities. A salary delay hurts them too,” she wrote.
While acknowledging employees’ concerns, Kaushik also asked them to consider the challenges faced by founders. She pointed to the performance of a senior manager who, she claimed, achieved only 20% of the target during the peak season.
‘Misses the 70% goal’
“But here’s the question from a founder’s side,” she wrote. “If a senior manager handling a team of 30+ people achieves only 20% of the target in peak season, misses the 70% goal, and still asks only: ‘Sir Salary?’ ‘Sir TADA?’ Then what exactly is the responsibility towards the company?”
She further said that although employees expect salaries, incentives, and job security, founders are often left dealing with financial strain and the pressure to keep the business afloat.
‘Earn with respect, not by habit’
“Before leaving home for work tomorrow, think once: someone is sacrificing silently so you can pay your EMI on time and feed your family. Don’t cheat your job. Earn with respect, not by habit,” she concluded.
Here’s how social media users reacted
One user wrote, “When you choose to become a founder, you knowingly sign up for uncertainty, pressure, sleepless nights, and financial risk. But one responsibility remains non-negotiable: employees must be paid on time.”
A second person said, “Employment is a transaction, not a partnership. If the company grows 500% next month, salaries don’t jump 500%.”
Another user wrote, “If employees are expected to ‘adjust’ during a company’s difficult phase, then a fair question is: when the company becomes profitable, will those same employees share in the success too?”