Understanding The Dignity of the Worker

The #1 Thing Employers Need to Understand About Laborem Exercens

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As I’ve mentioned before, I’m working my way (slowly) through Laborem Exercens, Pope St. John Paul II’s 1981 Encyclical.

While I’m not finished, I did want to share a reflection on what is a core truth we as business owners must acknowledge, especially whenever we employ others.

The Dignity of The Worker.

So what does The Dignity of The Worker mean?

Work is carried out by Man. Man is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, because Man is in a sense ‘sacred’ or a reflection of God, he possesses a certain dignity whenever he does work.

This is true regardless of the work he undertakes because he is created in God's image and likeness.

This term, this descriptor, was not applied to the animals. In fact, Genesis even states that Man is to subdue the earth and the animals therein and to assert dominance over it.

Laborem Exercens states that Man is always the worker, even in the case of The Machine, and as I would add, even in the case of AI. Machines and Technology are a creation of Man using the resources God gave him. Both machinery and technology (AI) are tools for the benefit of man. This will be the case for all of time because God did not create these things. The resources and ingenuity to create these things were given to Man to act upon the earth; to act in the image and likeness of God.

Here are the points. Count with me.

Once we understand that (1) Man has intrinsic value because he’s created in God’s image, (2) no matter what type of work he does, and (3) regardless of technology, Man’s dignity will never disappear. Now we start to realize that—hey, Man, as a worker is kind of important and must be treated with respect.

Well, what does that mean for us as employers? You guessed it, we have a responsibility to treat the worker with dignity.

This right here—this little nugget—is the core of what Laborem Exercens is trying to teach us.

If we know nothing about theology or the social teachings of The Church, as long as we take a first principles approach to how we treat our workers, we will be on the right track.

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You’re not Gru, and Workers aren’t your Minions.

This topic is important because many entrepreneurs view building a business as an opportunity to get others to do work for them and make them rich. They view these employees as minions. They might even play games to keep them happy and satisfied, but not give them too much to get ambitious and leave.

This is a fundamentally flawed outlook. One could argue it’s what causes so many successful business owners to become evil, greedy, or selfish once they achieve a certain level of success. If their underlying mentality is ‘I am superior to my employees,’ or that they have gained dominion over other Men by employing them, it’s impossible to think this doesn’t flow into the other parts of their life.

Don’t dismiss this idea.

I know that many readers are early in their business journeys. It can be easy to dismiss the idea that we think like all those selfish mega-millionaires out there. Truth is, I bet most now millionaires or billionaires had a similar worldview as us when they were in our shoes.

We MUST examine our souls to ensure we recognize the value of our fellow man. We may be their boss, but we are not superior to them. We are all created equal. We are all created in the image and likeness of God.

We were given certain gifts or talents that led us to become their employers, it’s not our job to keep these people down, to keep them as our employees. If they have more potential and talent under the hood, we should help them up to the next level. If we do this, we further glorify God by helping others become true champions of the Father’s will on earth.

This is why we are called to become entrepreneurs in the first place. At least that’s what I believe at the heart of all this. Becoming an entrepreneur is a journey. It’s not for everyone. For most, it’s something you cannot avoid. You have to take the leap because not doing so would kill you inside.

It’s often discussed that we do these things because of a chip on our shoulder or some sort of childhood trauma; I believe God is the one calling us to entrepreneurship in most cases. I believe this because the amount of good He can do through us, and the things He can teach us, through entrepreneurship are immeasurable.

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Practical Ways to Implement this Idea

Now that we recognize the intrinsic value or Dignity of The Worker, what are some tactical ways we can implement this as employers?

1. Protect the human spirit.
   There are many jobs out there that get old. They are monotonous. If not guarded against, it can drain the life and vitality of someone, their human spirit. If this is the case for any of the jobs we provide, we need to prevent this tragedy from occurring.
   
   Engage them intellectually. Consider starting lunch discussions on intellectually engaging topics. Keep them engaged so tey don’t become robots. This is possibly the most important thing for us to focus on when it comes to the dignity of the worker.