Peyton Manning Saga reflects current Workplace issue
Let’s be clear, Peyton Manning’s current employment saga is based on his injury and the assumption he will not be able to perform at the elite level his employer Jim Irsay is used to. Irsay has been vocal about the Indianapolis Colts intent on selecting top quarterback Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL Draft which kicked off the beginning of a possible end for Peyton’s record setting career with the Colts. This will be the hot topic issue which takes us through the draft and has our attention for multiple reasons. Here, I’d like to focus on the top reason I believe this hits home. If you can, put aside your politics and beliefs on how a capitalistic economy should be run. The current dispute between Manning and Irsay boils down to loyalty. Something which once was the basic tenet of an employee/employer relationship. Something which is becoming a lost characteristic of American society.
Every business exists to turn a profit on their ideas and innovation. However, they need help and that is where you come in. Employees are hired and in return for their production they earn a salary. That salary, combined with workplace atmosphere and how you are acknowledged earns your loyalty to the company. If there is one thing Peyton Manning has been to the Colts it is loyal. Throughout his 13 year career, Manning has been one of the most respected and sought after quarterbacks. Still, he chose to stay with Irsay and the Colts when there could have been more money to be earned. He restructured his contract in 2007 after winning a Super Bowl in order to help his employer continue to thrive and strive to win another championship. Of course, restructuring also benefited Manning’s workplace environment, but the bottom line is it was a win-win situation. Players don’t have to restructure their contracts, but loyalty and commitment to the organization is a piece of their decisions. It’s something many of us average Joe’s have done in our own ways. Several years ago, amid the souring economy, a friend’s Fortune 500 employers made it clear new costs and dropping stock prices would lead to the very real possibility of layoffs. In an act of loyalty to one another and the corporation, my friend and his co-workers all agreed to a pay cut which would benefit both them and the company while avoiding the loss of jobs. Like Peyton and the Colts in 2007, it was a win-win situation. Also like Peyton, the employees were part of a Labor Union. Instead of fighting against the changes, they chose to find a middle ground. They have since given up other portions of pay or benefits due to the company’s rising health costs. While many will see this as a means of keeping a job, the fact remains none of it was forced upon them. They volunteered the cuts out of loyalty to their employers because they all appreciated the environment and are loyal.
Unlike Peyton Manning, middle America does not have companies throwing themselves at their doorstep for their services. Middle Americans are either loyal out of genuine want, or loyal because they are forced to be so in order to survive. Peyton Manning has plenty of options and he is far from being on the streets if he loses his job. What is most concerning is how Irsay has treated him publicly and the reflection to us that it doesn’t matter how much you get paid or how valuable you are. Loyalty is insignificant on any level when it comes to business. It was easy for Irsay to support Manning while he was healthy. Now that Peyton has aged and is facing health issues, all bets are off and Irsay is not such a staunch supporter. In his defense, he must keep the future of the Colts as his top priority and selecting Andrew Luck does just that. However, the Twitter feuds and lack of grace revolving around the situation does little to repay what Manning has done for the organization. What Peyton is looking for is loyalty in return for his loyalty. He hung with the Colts during the rough times and was hoping his employer would hang with him now. Unfortunately, too many of us “normal folk” know all too well how he feels. Since my friend and his fellow employees agreements to give up numerous pay cuts and restructuring of their own contracts, company stocks have risen back to pre-recession levels and his company has set historical records in accomplishments. In return for their loyalty and sacrifice, they have received nothing. In fact, they are now faced with new management and all signs point to a very real possibility of layoffs to the whole division. Like the multitudes of people in the unemployment line across America, it hasn’t been a reflection of their production. It’s a business decision. Loyalty means nothing when it comes to the bottom line and Peyton Manning has quickly realized that.
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