My last editorial asked the question, “What is your price?” The point is that everyone has a situation right now (it could be a great job, a terrible one, or no job at all). We all have a price at which we would say “hasta la vista” to that situation. Of course, I mostly want to talk about employed people in this editorial when talking about loyalty.

Your price may be low, or it may be high. Like myself, it might be ludicrously high. But there is always a price.

A forgotten factor

One factor I left out of the previous editorial was loyalty, which is, of course, a very sticky subject with many people. Read any forum thread about changing jobs, and there will always be a fiery section somewhere in the comments about how your company treats you only as a number. Plus, not only do they believe you are a number, but you are an easily tossed-out number at a whim.

But is that really true? While I am begging you to go to the comment section of this article and give your opinion. First, I want to share my opinion, this being an editorial and all.

My question is: Should you be loyal to a company you work for? And maybe, to put it more directly, if they think of you as but a number, why should you not do the same for them? So, I want to take a quick look at both sides of this argument.

You are a number

First off, this is 100% true. You are a number to your company. You produce some value, and you cost some amount. However, that equation is rarely as simple as having a spreadsheet of income and outgoing cash (unless, perhaps, you are in sales?). Some value is indeed straightforward cash value, but you may have other not readily quantifiable values that don’t directly contribute to your organization’s bottom line/mission.

It is, however, imperative to keep that clear understanding that if your cost noticeably outweighs your value, they may not keep you around. Note, too, that it may not be strictly your value but the value of the team you are on. If you are on the “Widgy Wadgy” team and that product isn’t selling despite the awesome name. You know the rest.

You are not a number

The title of this section is what it is to be the polar opposite of the previous section. But it isn’t really true as written. To be more precise, it would read: “You are more than just a number.”

Companies often use the term “family” to describe their employees. This term has a cringe feel to it because it isn’t usually said most believably. Yet, most organizations do feel this way to some extent, especially the ones not trying too hard to sell you on the family concept.

I have never worked a job where I felt that my coworkers and managers (to a certain level) didn’t know and care about me somewhat. I also understand this is not the case for everyone everywhere, so you must recognize when they actually don’t care about you!

When I have had surgeries and broken bones, my employers have treated me well and backed me up when needed. We have always talked with each other about(actual) families and sports, and we sometimes hang out at lunch. Not to mention, if I see people I work with in the non-work world, we might talk for a long time about shared and new experiences in and outside of work. And let’s face it, sometimes we spend more time with workmates than actual kin-family.

So how does loyalty fit in your price?

This is tough question and requires discernment on your account. Thinking back to the What’s Your Price editorial, loyalty is really an amalgam of some of the factors mentioned. Your loyalty is truly based on how much you feel like people care for you as more than a number on a balance sheet.

All while never forgetting that there is a balance sheet with a price tag/caring equation for every employee. And most employers are generally loyal to their employees and want to keep them and see them succeed.

You know, until they aren’t, and, again, you know what can happen next.

More like a team than a family

Sorry if this editorial isn’t comforting and straightforward and perhaps even feels a bit unhelpful in some regards. All the advice you read about be mindful of your work situation and what is going on around you hold true. The key is that almost every other person you work with are in the same place as you are.

There is a reason why all those fiery comment sections exist about just being a number. Because when it all boils down to it, you are a number member of a team.

And face it, players on a team (not fans of course, who stick around through thick and thin!) is a far better paradigm than family, because teams are pretty transparent with their players. Players leave teams to earn more money or win a championship. But when your cost outweighs your value… they go away, even when they are well liked in an organization. And for the most part, every player hopes the team they are on is the one that lasts…even if if that isn’t always the case.