A CUSTOMER recently shared on social media about her experience with a saleswoman at a mall. The customer was being helped by the saleswoman to purchase a glass tumbler when the saleswoman accidentally dropped and shattered it. At first, the customer was going to inquire about buying the tumbler when she noticed the saleswoman looked very concerned after breaking it. Upon checking the price, the tumbler cost only P85. However, the saleswoman explained that the mall policy charges employees ten times the actual price of any item they break. So instead of P85, she would be charged P850 for the broken tumbler — the equivalent of a full day's wages for minimum wage earners and a quarter of the following day's wages. Wanting to help, the customer opted to pay for the broken tumbler herself so the saleswoman would not be unfairly burdened with the inflated cost.

Companies must review and change policies that penalize employees excessively for mistakes. For example, forcing low-paid, entry-level sales employees to pay 10 times the price of items accidentally damaged creates overly harsh penalties. This significantly cuts into the already small incomes of minimum wage earners, showing little consideration for their well-being. Rather than rigid penalties without flexibility, companies should invest in proper training programs to prevent errors. An empathetic approach creates a learning opportunity for improvement.