The “DHARMA” of an employer!

Last week – my father and me were having a conversation in office. The discussion was on whether we should start looking at a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activity or maybe make donation to some NGO etc. for a cause that is close to our hearts and fits into the values of our mother brand – THE DESIGN QUARRY! We had apprehensions on how genuine the NGO might be; where our money will be utilized and whether it will help the cause we have donated for. It was like donating our hard-earned money towards something we could not be sure of. Then dad made a point, “While we are looking at making donations or CSR etc, why should we not help people whom we know need help. Our employees might need financial assistance; or maybe one of our relatives who isn’t doing that well in life; a maid whose husband is always drunk and needs our support for schooling her children, etc.” He continued, “That should be our dharma as an employer. We should rather pay them directly instead of an organisation.” Continuing further, I think we can help our employees in various ways – for medical emergencies; financial aid for paying their children school fees; to repair their homes in monsoon preparedness; putting a water tank in their house for summer season; paying off a loan they have taken at higher interest rates; to buy a cycle for their child so that they can enjoy their summer holiday; to finance a vehicle they want to buy for daily commute; help them with insurance policies; guide them launch a venture of their own; and so on I am not against a CSR activity nor that all NGO’s aren’t genuine. As an employer, I suggest that we prioritize. Let us spend first on our employee requirements, or our immediate relatives, or ones who are working at home. If we still have plenty left, then let’s look at CSR or NGO for activities where our direct involvement is not going to be possible. In this case we need to thoroughly scan whom we are giving the amount to. Needless to say – we should not be blinded by their demands. We need to be empathetic and not sympathetic. We should be very sure that their requirements are genuine and in the right direction. If we get emotional and carried away by their talks, they might have taken advantage of our goodness. Being a successful employer is our first dharma! Their houses will function when we successfully run our businesses. The fact that they are helping us in achieving our successes, they deserve that help, which they might need every now and then. Instead of sulking and saying a blunt NO, let’s understand their requirements and help them! Let’s fulfil the DHARMA of being an EMPLOYER!

A Story That Starts and Ends in the Same Place

One fine Saturday, I set out to do something wildly productive. The kind of day that starts with a to-do list and ends with the smug satisfaction of crossing everything off it — a rare phenomenon, kind of like spotting a unicorn in a traffic jam. First item on the list: “Clean the bedside drawer.” That infamous drawer. The one that holds everything from batteries (dead and alive), pens, random skincare, something for the aches & pains, wires of strange unknown gadgets, takeout menus from restaurants that shut down in 2014, and at least three measuring tapes (different colours of course!) that seem to multiply when no one’s looking. I stood in front of it, took a deep breath, and opened it. Twenty minutes later, I was sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding a spool of intertwined wires I didn’t know we owned, and wondering if I should take up wire macramé. This spiraled into watching three YouTube videos, saving a Pinterest board titled “Boho DIY Home Vibes,” and texting a friend, “Let’s do something fun!” Naturally, this meant I needed to check the cupboard for more craft supplies, which led me to find an old notebook, which had half an articleI wrote in 2019. I read it. I cringed. Then I rewrote it. Then I thought, Maybe I should just get back to writing more stuff for myself? Cue: Another hour lost to opening my old blog, reading comments, replying to none, and debating if I should change the picture. By 4:30 p.m., I stood up, slightly dizzy from the sheer number of tabs open in both my brain and my browser, stretched dramatically, and looked around. The drawer was still open. Its contents were still on the floor. The wire pile had not moved an inch. And I had cleaned absolutely nothing. But my soul? That had been on a ride. I had revisited hobbies, half-written dreams, spontaneous plans, and silly old blogs. I had giggled at doodles I made during work calls and wondered whether old ambitions age like wine or cheese. And then, with the same kind of serene surrender you see in wise old monks, I gently put everything back in the drawer (in no particular order, of course), closed it, and declared, “Done.” I had come full circle. And that, my friend, is a story that starts and ends in the same place. The drawer didn’t get cleaned. But I did tidy up a few neglected corners of my heart. And isn’t that something? Sometimes, not all loops are wasted effort.Sometimes, wandering in circles is the only way to return to yourself.