The Working Poor 97

year. Rather, the workers’ complaints revealed something far less tangible. The managers discovered that the workers simply“didn’t feel needed, necessary or wanted.”®® They felt ignored, like just another warm body. As a result, the company assigned each new employee a “sponsor,” a peer who would be a friend and a guide for the first 90 days of employment. The goal was to help the new worker fit in socially, to give them someone to sit with during lunch and breaks. The sponsors helped the new workers feel connected and wanted in addition to helping them learn the company’s policies. In turn, when the new employee stayed at least ninety days, his/her sponsor received a$100 reward. Of course the sponsors, many of whom were also of the struggling class of the“working poor,” received not only a financial bonus but also a raise in self-esteem.

In effect, the experience of the plastic factory confirms the importance of affirming the dignity and humanity of every worker.

Employers may be constrained by economic realities when it comes to how much compensation they can pay their employees. But they can see to it that every employee is fed and paid in a timely fashion. Employers may not be able to“sweeten” a difficult and dirty job, but they can create a physical environment that is legally safe and a social environment that is positive and friendly. There may be a limit to salaries, but there is no limit to treating another person with respect.

It is a mitzvah from the Torah not to oppress our workers. “You shall not rule over[your servant] ruthlessly, rather you shall revere your God (Lev. 25:43). To this, the midrash of Sifra added:

Do not rule over him ruthlessly: Do not say to him,

“warm up my cup” when it is not needed, or“cool this

cup for me” when it is not needed.[And don’t say]:

“Hoe under the grapevines until I come back.” And

lest one say[as justification for running his servants

around],“But I did need this done.” Behold, this is a