By Rev. Glenn Neil Stocking
The Supreme Court case brought on behalf of Peggy Young who sued United Parcel Service because it would not assign her to light duty when she was pregnant opens a wider question regarding employee – employer relations. Whether UPS did anything legally wrong is yet to be decided, but common practices lends support to their position and a ruling in Ms. Young’s favor will send a noticeable ripple through corporate board rooms.
In the early days of the Industrial Revolution there were no rules in the workplace beyond those established by employers. Show up on time, stay until you are told you can leave and never forget you can be replaced in a heartbeat. Contrary to human nature, human beings were the least valuable component of the industrial machine.
In the agrarian cultures that preceded the rise of the machines beasts of burden were highly prized and well cared for. It was not only humane, but practical. A sick or injured animal could not pull its load and was not easily replaced. Human employees on the farm or ranch often enjoyed a family type environment with its wide range of relationships and usually with their dignity honored. (The notable exception of human bondage notwithstanding)
Perhaps the birth of industrial societies occurring in Great Britain where a hierarchal class system was already entrenched lent direction to how employee – employer relationships developed. The cascade of events that brought more and more people into cities eventually created a critical mass of people unaccustomed to what was in effect several generations of evolution crammed into a few decades. The parallel development of vast colonial empires crushing indigenous populations against the explosion of industrial might fueled an upheaval of humanity and an unnatural distortion of human nature.
In our natural evolution competition for resources always played an important role. Controlling a water way meant having water. Ruling over fertile farm lands or abundant game lands meant having food. Being physically attractive or capable expanded ones choices of family expansions. As we evolved into urbanized societies political power and influence grew in importance. In the Industrial Revolution, the factory hierarchies encompassed all of these features pitting worker against worker to achieve recognition and reward within the artificial environment called “the company.”
The company became God and quickly it was lost to many that God had a Board of Directors and that Board answered to investors ̶ all of whom are human. All decisions deferred to the well-being of the company and the human beings at all levels of the matrix forgot their humanity. The intervening history between then and now has been the story of our return to the truth.
All work place rules and by extension civil laws are enacted in response to some occurrence or perceived possible occurrence that is harmful to the enacting society. Some are logical and make good sense surviving the tests of time. “No Smoking” in the gun powder factory still holds up, and “check your weapons” makes good sense although admittedly argumentative in some circles today.
The pell-mell race to industrial riches threatened to trample human nature, but that nature is a tough bird and the excesses soon enough proved to be too much. Work place accidents, poorly built products and simply the growing pains of technology triggered human responses to the robber baron attitudes that drove the evolution. There are no heroes without a few villains and the growth of industrial ineptitude awoke a new spiritual awareness in the human family.
Reclaiming their humanity laborers joined together in labor unions and through often violent strikes and bitter court battles curbed the arrogant demigods of industrialization. Demonstrating an irony only humans can manifest, the unions too forgot their mission and strayed into excesses that triggered their own demise. However with both sides of the coin having peaked in turn, a somewhat tempestuous middle ground has risen and tempered the extremes.
Corporations have proven to be false gods with scores crumbling into dust as so many statues of fabricated divinity have through time. Rules that restrict whom can work, once commonplace, get little support today. Time off is still culturally regulated with Western Europe seemingly much more human valued than typical American corporate thinking, and here is where we can begin to realign ourselves citing precedent.
American workers still labor under the delusion that everyone can rise to the ranks of the Rockefellers and foolishly shun regulations that might block their ascension. They are fighting the last war, something every generation falls prey to. The great do not become great by copying what others have done. Greatness is bestowed upon those who surpass the norm in spite of its challenges.
The great of today carve success out of a well if sometimes burdensomely regulated environment. Ben and Jerry created the best ice cream in the world using ingredients that are safe to consume and equipment that is safe to work with. Costco enjoys land office business with a workforce that enjoys being part of the customer’s experience and knows the company appreciates the employee’s contribution to the success.
The railroads of old did not embrace the Westinghouse air brake because it was safer; they did so because it reduced losses and lawsuits and boosted profits, but it is safer and we all benefit from it. Safety regulations provide a cushion between innovation and investors providing the impetus to invest until the market proves itself. The auto industry did not adopt seat belts because they had to or because they saved lives; they did so because they boosted sales. Safety innovation continues to drive auto advancements more than cosmetic changes ever did.
Successful corporations today recognize the value of their human assets. Our European counterparts have pioneered worker rights and set a high bar for their American and developing world cousins to match. If corporations want the rights of personhood they face the responsibility of personal relations. The “Golden Rule” applies. Treat others as you would have them treat you! Rules that protect people are good for the company. Rules that demean people demean the company. Short term profits have long term consequences to both the bottom line and the eternal soul.
Rules that empower ineffectual supervisors serve only to reinforce incompetence. Awakening spirituality erases incompetence because it cannot exist in a spiritually empowered environment. Corporations who empower their human assets thrive on their empowerment. UPS like most companies has developed and adopted many good and reasonable rules and policies to protect itself and its investors. Perhaps they will be forced by a court decision to reexamine their motivations and recognize the future includes evolution. Perhaps they will come to that realization on their own. Either way, evolution is inevitable and the winners will adapt.
Learn more about Spiritual empowerment at a Center For Spiritual Living in your community or on line starting at CSL.org or CSLFTL.org.