New York Lawyer
January 10, 2002

Q:
Our firm is so cheap. I mean, SO cheap. Sludge-like coffee, expense accounts litigated to the penny, and the worst � raspy toilet paper. I can�t help feeling like it�s evidence of the management�s lack of regard for the people who work in the firm. Am I right?

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A:
This is a perennial complaint, but there are good arguments on both sides. Management will say, �We need to cut costs. Why waste money on lots of things when we can pocket the savings?� In that way, they are exhibiting regard for the people who work in the firm. They�re trying to direct money away from frivolities and into people�s paychecks. (Let�s not get into whose paychecks management is worrying about at this point.) Any decent business looks to cut costs wherever it reasonably can. It�s ridiculous to waste money if you don�t have to.

On the other hand, employees feel that little things count, and that a wide variety of minor irritations day after day add up to a major pain. Quality of life in a workplace can make the difference between a pleasant work environment and one that seems harsh and unwelcoming.

Fit these irritations into the great scheme of things. Are you getting good work? Are you advancing? Are you treated well on a personal basis, and are employees generally respected and treated well? If so, I�d say the points you mention reflect only an innocent penchant for squeezing costs, rather than a dis on employees. If the overall atmosphere is lacking in trust and respect, however, then the penny-pinching is a symptom of bigger problems.

If it�s basically a good place, and you want to nudge the green eyeshade types along, use humor to get your points across � that you used the toilet paper for sand paper on a household paint job; that the coffee could be carbon dated, etc., etc. This signals that you know these aren�t pivotal issues, but also can get the message to the partners that people notice their stingy ways. But if the whole firm is a hopeless cause, resign yourself to being cross-examined for a $5 lunch at a hot dog stand or else start looking around for a new job.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work