u/SeparateBonus7108

Dear Lalamove,

I usually give delivery riders a bigger tip whenever I book a “Priority” delivery. I understand that sometimes riders ask if they can complete the booking early because they need to pool deliveries to save up for gas, and I’m usually okay with that.

But this morning, the lady rider immediately marked my booking as completed without asking for my permission. When I called her, she said she accidentally completed the booking. I’m honestly not sure if that’s really what happened.

It’s been 5 hours, and my delivery still hasn’t arrived. 😭

I’m usually very understanding with riders, especially when they communicate with me. But in this case, I’m quite frustrated because I booked Priority specifically because I needed the item within a certain timeframe. If there was an issue or she needed to complete the booking early, I would have understood if she had just told me.

To All Employers and Business Leaders

As we navigate challenging times, I hope we can remind ourselves of something that can sometimes get lost in the pursuit of business goals: behind every employee is a person, a family, and a life outside of work.

We understand that businesses have responsibilities. There are deadlines to meet, clients to serve, targets to achieve, and operations that need to continue. Employees also understand that keeping a business running requires commitment, accountability, and professionalism. We know that business is important.

But please, do not forget that your employees are important, too.

There will be moments when an employee may not be performing at their absolute best—not because they do not care, but because they may be dealing with something you cannot see. They may be struggling with personal circumstances, family responsibilities, financial pressure, exhaustion, grief, or simply reaching a point where they desperately need to pause and breathe.

Sometimes, what an employee needs is not another reminder of their responsibilities. Sometimes, they need compassion.

Being compassionate does not mean lowering standards or allowing poor performance to go unaddressed. It means recognizing that employees are human beings, not machines designed to operate at 100% every single day.

A little understanding can make a significant difference.

Allowing someone to take a day to recover. Listening before judging. Giving reasonable flexibility when circumstances call for it. Checking in on an employee instead of immediately assuming the worst. Creating an environment where people feel safe enough to say, “I am struggling right now,” without fearing that their honesty will cost them their job.

These small acts of compassion can build loyalty, trust, and commitment far beyond what a paycheck alone can create.

Employees spend a significant part of their lives helping businesses succeed. They work late, adjust their schedules, handle difficult situations, meet deadlines, solve problems, and continue showing up even when life outside of work is difficult.

So when the difficult season comes—and eventually, it does—please remember the people who helped carry the business through its difficult seasons, too.

A successful business should not only be measured by its revenue, productivity, or growth. It should also be measured by how it treats the people who make that success possible.

Business matters. But people matter, too.

Let us build workplaces where accountability and compassion can exist together—where employees are expected to do their best, but are also given the grace to be human.

Because at the end of the day, a company can replace a position.

But for the person sitting in that position, their job may be supporting an entire family, their dreams, their stability, and their life.

Sometimes, compassion is not a weakness in leadership.

It is what makes leadership worth following.

Sincerely, An Employee Who Believes People Should Matter, Too