Having been employed for over 40 years, I now sit in sheer bewilderment at what is widely accepted as Bahamian workplace culture today. As both an HR consultant and vice president of a company, I experience the workplace from the perspectives of both employer and employee. What I see is a troubling shift — a growing sense of entitlement and an alarming lack of pride in simply doing a good job. Too many seem to believe that being paid is enough reason to do the bare minimum, rather than striving for excellence. This article is not written out of frustration, but out of a genuine desire to bring awareness to the issue and to challenge others not to accept this deteriorating status quo. Accepting mediocrity today only ensures even worse behavior tomorrow.

Raising Wages Without Raising Standards?

In recent weeks, local newspapers have been filled with calls to increase the minimum wage. Yet, there has been little discussion about improving performance or productivity — the very things that make wage increases sustainable. Why aren’t we asking how we can inspire our workforce to perform at levels that justify wage increases and job retention?

The Courtroom Experience

I recently had a matter at the Magistrate’s Court and the experience was nothing short of disheartening. It started with the summons — it included only a date and time (10:00 AM), but no courtroom number. I arrived early, as I always do, only to encounter confusion and indifference. At 9:30 AM, I approached a clerk near the entrance. She was absorbed in her cellphone, clearly irritated by my presence. Despite my polite “Good morning” and smile, I was treated like an annoyance. Her vague instructions led me upstairs, where another clerk advised me to check the courtroom doors. One door had no listing. I was then directed to the registry. After buzzing the door and waiting 15 minutes — yes, 15 full minutes — someone finally emerged. Instead of addressing the delay, they were more concerned about how many times the buzzer had been pressed. Eventually, I located the correct courtroom, where a bailiff refused to help me determine whether my matter was listed. Ten more minutes passed before he acknowledged me and told me the case had already been called. I was advised to sit and wait. After another hour and a half, I approached the bailiff again. He finally confirmed that my matter had been called before the scheduled time on the summons and rescheduled without my presence.All of this — a complete waste of time — could have been avoided with basic attention to detail. A correct time. A courtroom number. These aren’t luxuries; they’re necessities for a functioning judicial process.

Fast Food Fiascos

On a separate occasion, I visited a local popular chicken eatery and an international burger company both in the Carmichael area (steps apart from each other) not by choice, but at the request of my 14-year-old daughter. A simple order of one thigh snack and one breast with onions turned into two oily, unappealing thigh snacks. There was no care in presentation, no effort to get the order right, and no accountability. I was too far away to return and too bewildered by how an incorrect order — not matching the ticket or the payment — had somehow become “my order.” At the International Burger Establishment, the situation was no better. A simple order required two trips back just to receive what I paid for, and this establishment has someone who checks the bag at the window. These aren’t isolated incidents — they reflect an epidemic of poor service delivery across industries.

The Real Problem: We Allow It

Why does this behavior persist? Because we allow it. We, as employers, accept poor performance because addressing it often leads to lengthy disputes with the Department of Labour or the courts. We’ve created a system where employers have no real recourse when employees underperform, act out, or simply abandon their roles — even after years in management positions without notice, because there are no ramifications to them. Employees can behave unprofessionally, walk off the job, and then go to the Labour Board to make claims against their employer — wasting more time and money. What about the employer’s right to decide who works in their company? What about fairness?

The Employer’s Dilemma

What is an employer to do when a key staff member walks out days before VAT filings are due? You “suck it up and find a way.” Why is it not the same for employees who are terminated for cause? Having spent over 10 years in the public sector — 10 years, 8 months, and 5 days, to be exact — I know firsthand how hard it is to dismiss a government employee. Why? Because our systems enable bad behavior. General Orders have been “under review” since I joined the service in 1993. Employees don’t read them, don’t follow them, and often don’t care.As an HR professional, I’m well-versed in modern theories on employee engagement. But I believe the theorists of the past would be shocked at today’s reality. It's no longer about self-actualization or pride in service — it’s about what the employer can give to satisfy a temporary need.

A Culture of Theft and Excuses

There are increasing instances of employees stealing from their workplaces — openly — because they know the likelihood of real consequences is low. Employers don’t have time for lengthy legal battles. The cost of labor in The Bahamas is high. Work permits, salaries, benefits — none of it is cheap. And while I agree that salaries can and should increase, performance metrics must be in place. Let people earn higher wages rather than hand them out universally through minimum wage hikes. Right now, the mindset seems to be: “If the government doesn’t raise minimum wage, crime will rise because people will steal to survive.” Is that really the future we’re signing up for? It will never be enough. Employers will always carry the burden — one way or another. As a country, we need to stop demonizing “Turnover” , it is sometimes a necessary action in order to meet the need of the both the employee and employer, sometimes the season is over and its time to move on or move them on.

Even High Salaries Don’t Guarantee Quality

What’s worse is that even in organizations with higher-paid workers — like recent experiences at a local utility company (recently in the news for new owners) — customer service remains poor. The same apathetic mindset exists despite higher wages. So how do we, as a nation, shift toward a service-oriented culture that reflects the level of development we claim to pursue? We can spend billions on infrastructure, but without improving our service culture, we’re building on sand.

Looking Back, Thinking Forward

In the 1970s and 1980s, our national pride was reflected in the quality of service we delivered. What will our future say about us? We complain about the influx of expatriate workers, but for many employers, they are the only way to ensure basic standards — keeping the cash register secure, the customers coming back, and the business afloat. Work permit costs and all.We have departments like Labour to protect employees — but who protects the employers?

The Bigger Questions

• Who will provide balance in the labor market?

• What legacy are we building as a nation?

• What long-term solutions do we need?

In my next article, I will share examples of positive customer service experiences and offer steps employers can take to level the playing field and raise workplace standards for everyone.

The above depicts the views and experiences of the writer. Names were called so that system can be changed within them, constructive feedback to be given towards self- reflection and improvements only.

Jacquelyn Beneby is the CEO of the Human Resources Solutions group ltd, a global presenter and a successful business entrepreneur since 2013