Colin Flahive opened a restaurant in China that's a beacon of enlightened management (CS Monitor)

[pinto]

Colin Flahive opened a restaurant in China that's a beacon of enlightened management

Caring for his employees led him to undertake an ever-wider range of nonprofit and humanitarian efforts across the province.
By Mike Ives, Correspondent / July 11, 2013
Kunming, China

Colin Flahive and three friends didn't open Salvador's Coffee House in 2004, on a busy street in the capital of China's southwestern Yunnan Province, for ethical or humanitarian reasons. At the time, they were just trying to make back the $30,000 they'd invested in the business while fending off the cockroaches they had inherited from a previous tenant.

But friends say they have always treated their employees – young women from a rural corner of Yunnan – with kindness, respect, and an awareness of the harsh realities facing rural migrants trying to make a better life in Chinese cities.

Now Mr. Flahive has linked the business to two grass-roots initiatives he created: an organic grocery service and a project to offer art and health classes in rural villages. He also leads or facilitates a range of nonprofit and humanitarian efforts across the province, including raising $30,000 for a Salvador's employee who faced a life-threatening medical emergency.

<snip>

The 24 employees at Salvador's have health care and vacation packages. They live near their workplace, with a maximum of one roommate, in rooms provided by Salvador's. They also receive weekly English-language tutoring and overtime pay after 50 hours of weekly work, and are eligible for profit-sharing options after three months. And the restaurant has a flat management structure, meaning every employee learns and performs most of the jobs in the kitchen and serving area.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2013/0711/Colin-Flahive-opened-a-restaurant-in-China-that-s-a-beacon-of-enlightened-management?nav=87-frontpage-entryInsideMonitor

[A Little Weird]

1. Admirable

It would really be nice if all Chinese workers (and workers everywhere) could get some basic benefits similar to this.

[bluedeathray]

2. "Whoever says that small things can't make a difference...

Has never slept with a mosquito!"

Dalai Lama.

We must use examples like this to turn our own boat around. Hang in there. Never sacrifice your principles.