A Parable of Compassion in Corporate America

by Stephen D.

When asked the question of this assignment, “Have you ever been parabled?”, I soon realized that it didn’t take long for me to question of myself, “Where do I begin?” Reflecting back, there have been so many instances in my life, it seems, from which I can derive a parable. In order for this realization to have occurred, I understand the value of paying close attention to the lessons I have learned in life and moving past the knee-jerk rejection of “conversion and healing” (Essay #2, Ludwig, p. 3) with which I – more often than not – assumed in the midst of the respective event.

Though I have a number of Prodigal Son-type personal parables that I could relate here, I felt led to share one different and distinct episode in my life that, using Dr. Ludwig’s description, “creates contradiction within a given situation and thus challenges the fundamental principle of reconciliation” (ibid, p.4). This parable comes from a decision I made in a former management position I held, where I had oversight of twenty employees. In managing such a large group, solutions to the personnel challenges that arise range widely from simple, common sense decisions to multi-faceted, complex analysis and judgments, which rarely, if ever, please all of the employees all of the time.

In this situation, an employee, Angela (a pseudonym), came to me requesting a few days off, in order to find a new babysitter for her young daughter. Evidently, the person who had provided this service abruptly quit, and Angela, being a single mother, did not have anyone who could provide interim care on such short notice. Though the request was simple enough, the dilemma for me was that Angela had a habit – and a poor reputation among her co-workers – for calling off work excessively. At the point Angela made her request to me for time off, she had exhausted all of her sick time for the year. Because the group I managed was a client service center, whenever there was an unexpected absence, there was more stress placed on the other employees to cover the workload. Therefore, Angela’s excessive absences not only reflected poorly on her employee performance record, they caused the other employees to direct their increasing frustration towards me.

This management position I held was with a Fortune 50 company. In such an environment, there  are formal human resources policies and detailed authorities and accountabilities of managers. By the letter of the “law,” I had definitive authority to deny Angela’s request without explanation. However, something in me knew that this would not be the right thing to do. Guided by compassion and personal principle, I instead granted Angela’s request. I felt the last thing Angela needed to worry about was finding quality day care for her daughter. Any discussion over her excessive absences could wait.

Of course, there was another dimension to this scenario, in that I then had to address the reaction of the other employees. My approach was to handle this right away, to prevent or at least minimize hearsay and criticism. I called a brief meeting of the employees – sans Angela – and explained that Angela was going to be taking a few days off. I emphasized that the reason for Angela’s absence was of nobody’s concern, that it had been approved, and that it was not up for discussion. I also provided reassurance that I would secure support from a temporary employee, if necessary, to absorb any of the additional workload caused by Angela’s absence.

Despite my speech to the group, I was savvy enough to realize that there still would be rumblings of complaint behind my back, that some people might even go so far as question or make up reasons why I had been so generous to Angela. In fact, this intangible caused me the most personal discomfort. I strived to be a fair, honest, and personable manager. I also prided myself on being compliant with the rules and to enforce them strictly. My decision could be perceived as being unfair and could compromise both my likability and my integrity. Ultimately, it was a price I determined was worth paying.

Theologically, in the Old Testament, there is the concept of the children being accountable for the “sins of their fathers.” For example in Leviticus 26:39:

“And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies’ lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.”

In being “parabled” by this situation, I felt by denying Angela’s request, I would be punishing Angela’s daughter. It was an option that I could not accept in my heart, HR policy be damned. In this, I draw a parallel with Ludwig’s description of ministers’ actions for the sake of social justice, that obedience is “upended when ministers of religion disobey the law, claiming that a higher law dis-empowers it” (ibid, p. 10). By advocating for Angela, I achieved, through consciousness of the Holy Spirit guiding me, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), an understanding I perceived as being a dutiful manager. To this day, I have no regret in making the decision that I did, and in so doing, it strengthened my faith to rely on the omnipresence, the power and the wisdom of God in me to direct me in all aspects of my life.