₦airaland Forum

janeedema:
I totally get your thought.

However this is about an individual’s wiring or mindset.

I’m sure with your mindset, you would also have an issue in saying Thabk you tö those who are in your employ or offer you service— like artisans, drivers, cleaners, etc.

Saying Thabk you doesn’t make you less nor does it mean the person is your source, it simply tells more about the state of your heart— one filled with gratitude and not taking anything for granted.

I thank drivers, artisans, vendors who work for me even after paying them. It is me placing value on their services and letting them know they are appreciated.

I worked with a woman some years ago whom I always thanked after she sends me a very meager sum. That little act I believe was why she didn’t find my replacement even though I wasn’t indispensable.

I am wired tö thabk people for everything— little or big. If they get prideful over it, it reveals their state of heart to them, and it is hardly my issue.

My own role is to spread positivity with every opportunity I am given.

There are lots of competent people who can take up any job I am offering, rhat the employer gave me a chance, is him/her choosing to patronize me above others and that deserves my Thabk you.

As I Thabk God for helping me stay engaged and not being jobless, I also remember the channel He chose to bless me through. Again, it doesn’t make me less, it simply shows me the state of my heart.

And I am fine with it.

Everyone should stay with what works for them. There are no rules tö this.

I understand your perspective, and I respect that gratitude is something you practice intentionally. But let me clarify something important. This not an issue of mindset, it’s an issue of context.

You said someone with my mindset would also struggle to say thank you to drivers, artisans, cleaners, and others who offer services. Well, you're absolutely wrong.

There’s a clear difference between basic human courtesy and feeling obliged to thank an employer for releasing the salary you already earned.

When I thank an artisan or driver after paying them, it’s because they delivered their service and I’m acknowledging it out of politeness. But thanking an employer for paying me salary is different because....

Salary isn’t a favour. It’s an exchange. You offer skill, time, stress, commitment, and execution.
They offer money in return. Both parties benefit. Neither is doing charity.

So it’s not about being wired wrongly. It’s about recognizing the power dynamics involved.
A boss giving salary is not choosing to patronize you, it’s entering into a contractual agreement that both sides have agreed to. Your value is what keeps you employed, not just their benevolence.

Your personal example about thanking a boss for sending a small amount is valid for you, because it worked in your specific situation. But such should not be regarded a general principle.

Gratitude is good. But feeling indebted for your own labour is not.

Also, not everyone who believes salary is a right lacks gratitude. Some of us simply understand that appreciating your job is different from acting like you’re being blessed with something you worked for.

So yes everyone should stick with what works for them. But we should also admit that a lot of Nigerians (yourself included) have been conditioned to see their basic rights as privileges. Sadly, that’s why this conversation even exists.

Office politics kills organizations

Hardeybohwarley:
Even though her action is commendable, we need to let go of such mentality as it doesn't work in saner climes and better organisation in Nigeria.

I find it hard to see why an employer will be expecting me to show appreciation for receiving a salary I toiled for.

Was the employer thanking me while I was doing the job.

Just like asking why one should thank the waiteress for the diligence employed in serving one's meal in a restaurant. In the saner clime you referenced, some clients even show their gratitude with good tips.
You forget that one can pay for a service without getting the promised service level or value. The employers make the promises to clients, the employees keep those promises and may choose not to fully provide the promised value or even do it grudgingly. Who is cheated is the client, and it is wisdom for them to help encourage those first line employees to continue to deliver quality services. Wirh that, the business owner wins, the clients wins and employee wins too.

Feudal society. Everyone is involved. Negroid DNA.
Vertically integrated. Horizontally weak. Unable to form proper 3D views of society.

GloriousGbola:
Yes a salary is a right - but the fact of the matter is a lot of bosses do not always meet their obligations and as a naija mater, there is nothing you can do about it.

my first job - my salary was i think 15 or 23k per month and it was always in trickles. we never got the salary in full.

one time my old employer a proper corp had serious cash flow issues and we were all collecting half salary for months

i am an employer today and i have clients who owe us big money for months on end. we don't cascade the same down to our team.

as a naija matter if i choose not to pay you your salary as at when due - there is really not that much you can do if you are not a person of means to begin with

I get what you’re saying, and you’re right that in Nigeria many employers don’t meet their obligations. Delays, half pay, trickles, the whole thing. Workers often have no real leverage, and that’s the sad reality of our system.

But that’s exactly why people shouldn’t start treating salary like a favour.

The fact that a boss can decide not to pay doesn’t turn salary into a privilege, it only shows how broken the system is. Your experience reflects this, but it also proves the point, dysfunction shouldn’t become the standard.

And the fact that you, as an employer, don’t pass your cash flow issues down to your staff shows you understand that professionalism is your responsibility, not a gift to them.

So yes, Nigeria is tough. But tough conditions don’t change this simple truth:

Salary is earned. Salary is a right. Not a favour.

Sonnobax15:

Staff wey know whatsxup.

He knows appreciation is the application for more...

Now tell me why such a staff won't be considered for promotion should the time for promotion comes?

That’s office politics....so unethical

Sonnobax15:
. You won't understand....

If you had been jobless for years and you luckily land a job, especially when all hopes seems to be lost, only then you'll understand why this employee has chosen to appreciate his employer...

Thia is eactly the kind of mentality we need to discard. No employee is doung any employee any favour. This mindset is the Introduction to slavery.

KingMack:
I guess he is more professional than the rest and still professional at his job..if not the madam for don state how she takes sack am😏

I agree with you that he provides value that is at par or even better than his peers . This is why the thank you message wowed his madam. If he was a laggard, I don't think a gratitude expressed for an undeserved salary payment would trigger this level of pride and satisfaction in his employer.

Even God knows I will NEVER do this, it's not pride but I won't.


Most Nigerians are naturally wicked in nature, appreciating your boss like this means you're indirectly digging your grave. I'll show my appreciation by putting more effort into the work instead of this nonsense.

SpencerForbes:
You get the point. Why should I thank you for my rights?? You ain’t dashing me the money for crying out loud. I help you in building your business with my time and effort and you still expect me to appreciate you for the pay. Some Nigerians and inferiority complex. That’s why we never get the full value of our job and keep getting underpaid.

A very good submission.
This our so called appreciative mentality is seen from another perspective as inferiority complex, someone you can throw anything at. Please, don't you think this is why Nigeria is not working due to how we have presented ourselves to our politicians and elites.
They do road we thank them, they provide street lights we danced for them, they build hospital, we sing their praises.
Have we asked them what they are doing with our vast resources? Our vats? Our taxes?

Until you work in a place where it is the normal thing for staff to appreciate their boss after receiving salary 😂.
In Nigeria where getting juicy or near juicy job is by dangerous connections, the little you have should be protected 😂.

Thank your boss if that's what work there.

Your boss will thank you too if em is wise and not proud.

In a good work environment, both are not bad.


That little thing you are doing differently that's Making you indispensable, please continue.

GloriousGbola:
yes a salary is a right - but the fact of the matter is a lot of bosses do not always meet their obligations and as a naija mater, there is nothing you can do about it.

my first job - my salary was i think 15 or 23k per month and it was always in trickles. we never got the salary in full.

one time my old employer a proper corp had serious cash flow issues and we were all collecting half salary for months

i am an employer today and i have clients who owe us big money for months on end. we don't cascade the same down to our team.

as a naija matter if i choose not to pay you your salary as at when due - there is really not that much you can do if you are not a person of means to begin with

Case in point. This doesn’t happen in saner climes. The only feasible way to thank your employer is to efficiently do your job.

saintmm:
A very good submission.
This our so called appreciative mentality is seen from another perspective as inferiority complex, someone you can throw anything at. Please, don't you think this is why Nigeria is not working due to how we have presented ourselves to our politicians and elites.
They do road we thank them, they provide street lights we danced for them, they build hospital, we sing their praises.
Have we asked them what they are doing with our vast resources? Our vats? Our taxes?

I generally avoid online political discussions, particularly on Nairaland, where dialogue is often dominated by emotion rather than sound logic.

In governance, we desperately need Accountability, Competence, and Transparency (ACT), yet Nigeria demonstrates the reverse. This issue mirrors a lack of self-value at the personal level, which confirm the saying: 'If you don't value yourself, no one else will.'

For instance, expressing 'thank you' for a guaranteed salary implies incompetence and places the employer in a position of perceived favor. This opens the door for future entitlement and potential grievances if that appreciation is missed—even if not intentional. This dynamic is a mirror of Nigerian politics.

We need more voices in our society like Rufai Oseni of Arise TV, he demands specific accountability. While officials celebrate project completion, he asks the question: 'What is the cost per kilometer?' Our tendency to uncritically praise inadequate performance, such as when a minister evades answers, shows a classic inferiority complex that must be ‘wiped out’ from the typical Nigerian mindset.

I see. It is clear you don't understand this law. The law of honor and appreciation is one the most powerful laws that open doors speeding. If don't understand, it means you will not understand. It is difficult to understand. Giving to people richer than you is another advanced mode of the same law....... I just wish you understand it..... but your heart is hardened already..... So sorry.

Hardeybohwarley:
Even though her action is commendable, we need to let go of such mentality as it doesn't work in saner climes and better organisation in Nigeria.

I find it hard to see why an employer will be expecting me to show appreciation for receiving a salary I toiled for.

Was the employer thanking me while I was doing the job.

That is Nigeria for you . Promotion because of the thank you message and not the quality service, the tasks she closed out. Lick yansh servers dont make company grow, they destroy, they fustrate the real guys to leave.

On this topic, opinions are surely different and I think both sides are right base on your realities. By realities I mean, upbringing, experience and whatnot. For me, I believe its not a bad idea to appreciate your employer. Fine you might have done the job but trust me in this Nigeria, with low employment ratio and investors backing out and not investing in Nigeria because of so many reasons, if you decide not to do a job, thousands others are longing for that opportunity and you should be grateful that your employer among all odds is creating an opportunity for you.

Sonnobax15:

Staff wey know whatsxup.

He knows appreciation is the application for more...

Now tell me why such a staff won't be considered for promotion should the time for promotion comes?

Rubbish, this will only make sense if the staff doesn't come to work or doesn't do his/her duties.

SpencerForbes:
Your words are scrambled. Could you please make it more constructive and understandable? I don’t seem to get your point.

Not in English class moreso you can understand the message
He passed communication as taken place.

When a Nigerian unemployed graduate finally managed to land a job after years of joblessness and being insulted and name-calling! by family and neighbours.

SpencerForbes:
I dislike offering verbal appreciation; I’d rather communicate through my work ethic. Compliments often get to people's heads, and they start believing they are doing you a favor. I prefer to let my results speak for me. If the employer is treating me well, he will see the gratitude in my productivity. However, if he starts misbehaving, he will notice the shift in my actions immediately.

There's a stage you'll get to in life that you will allow that compliment to get into their head.

Donarsy:
On this topic, opinions are surely different and I think both sides are right base on your realities. By realities I mean, upbringing, experience and whatnot. For me, I believe its not a bad idea to appreciate your employer. Fine you might have done the job but trust me in this Nigeria, with low employment ratio and investors backing out and not investing in Nigeria because of so many reasons, if you decide not to do a job, thousands others are longing for that opportunity and you should be grateful that your employer among all odds is creating an opportunity for you.

If you weren’t competent, do you think any sensible employer would have hired you? And if you leave the job now, do you think you’d be stranded, provided you genuinely know your self-worth? Hell no!

For some of us, we can leave a job just because of boredom, and use that time to polish our CV for something better. One lesson I've always been proud to learn is the ability to walk away from anything that stresses me out or doesn't resonate—and that goes for jobs and relationships.

If you know your value, you won’t be scared of quitting any organization. Staying in one place for too long can actually breed disrespect and make you look like you lack better options.

That whole routine of showing excessive appreciation for your pay is strictly for low-income earners and those who aren't aiming high. If you are genuinely good at your job, there’s zero need for that kind of behavior.

Moroccoguy:
Not in English class moreso you can understand the message
He passed communication as taken place.

You can ascertain my own understanding. That’s perfecto. I think this is your alternate moniker because you’re doing the same 😂

“He passed communication as taken place” 😂 how do you expect a logical person like me to respond to that😂😂

Sonnobax15:
. You won't understand....

If you had been jobless for years and you luckily land a job, especially when all hopes seems to be lost, only then you'll understand why this employee has chosen to appreciate his employer...

This is a shit hole citizen mentality
but I don't blame you for that
it's what our useless leaders caused

Fekumzi123:
There's a stage you'll get to in life that you will allow that compliment to get into their head.

Yes, I support showing appreciation, but only for the boss's helpful actions or favors—never for the salary I’ve earned. The rule of power, 'Never outshine the master,' is useful in office politics, but I discard it entirely when demanding my professional rights.

I deliberately maintain a distance, sometimes going a month or two without speaking to my boss, unlike others who communicate with him regularly because he is so approachable. This boundary is critical: if my colleagues report a glitch, he might respond with an emoji, but when I report a problem, he knows it must be addressed immediately, or I will hold him accountable.

Any praise I give is strictly for his positive impact; regarding my pay, the only communication he gets is the receipt notification. I keep my employment strictly professional and transactional. If my work merits a promotion, then so be it

SpencerForbes:
Why don’t you do it, but you want others to do it?
Classic hypocrisy 🤦‍♂️

I didn't say that,don't put words in peep's mouth to suit ur kolo mentality

Sonnobax15:
. You won't understand....

If you had been jobless for years and you luckily land a job, especially when all hopes seems to be lost, only then you'll understand why this employee has chosen to appreciate his employer...

It's a wrong mentality

Employees n Employers rights must be respected. Nothing like I am doing you a favour

Justiceleague1:
We are seamen and we don't do such thing to our captain or chief engineer but for fellas in other circles who find themselves in certain circumstances and most likely under a one man show,there's absolutely nothing wrong about it...

My bad. I guess this was written by me🤦‍♂️. You’re going the emotional way 😂 I thought all your crew members were going to meet the captain prostrating and thanking him for letting you all ride with him🤔

Is the ship yours?? Why aren’t you greeting but you want others to greet. Seems you’re a Nigerian politician.

Justiceleague1:
I didn't say that,don't put words in peep's mouth to suit ur kolo mentality

Ndenomy:
Leave saner clim oga woke.. our culture is different with the said saner clim. Go China and see their culture too ajd how they treat their workers. Low-self esteem marafaka

E be like say I no understand warm low-self esteem mean again oo. I dey try reason who get low-self esteem between you and the guy you quote.

I offered my service, got paid for service rendered, that's the end reward of our mutual contract. Any other thing is just eye-service.

Nazgul:
Thanking your boss for paying you for services you rendered seems awkward to me.

Your salary is not a gift. It’s not charity. It’s not a personal favour. You showed up for 30 days, dealing with stress, deadlines, pressure, sickness, unexpected tasks...etc, and all the wahala that comes with the job. Yet you still gave your best to keep the company moving. That is value. And value deserves compensation.

Sadly, a lot of Nigerians have been conditioned to see basic their rights as privileges. So instead of standing confidently on the fact that you earned your pay, they act like the boss did them a special favour by releasing the salary they already worked for.

Yes, you can be respectful, professional, and appreciative of good working conditions, but collecting your salary is not something you should feel indebted for. You’re not being blessed, you’re being paid what you deserve.

It’s time people started valuing their effort and understanding that compensation is a Right, not a privilege.

In Nigeria, not all employers pay salaries regularly. So that gives chance for any employer paying salaries regularly to be appreciated.

He is simply massaging her ego, and humans love it. The ones condemning him know nothing about office politics. There is only so far your hard work can get you. After some time, you need to suck up to the Boss. I am a senior staff member in my org, and I know you need that one Oga that you suck up to to ensure career growth; it happens everywhere, even in very mature organisations.

profmallor:
He is simply massaging her ego, and humans love it. The ones condemning him know nothing about office politics. There is only so far your hard work can get you. After some time, you need to suck up to the Boss. I am a senior staff member in my org, and I know you need that one Oga that you suck up to to ensure career growth; it happens everywhere, even in very mature organisations.

If you are a boss that your subordinate only appreciate because of their salary, then you should watch your back because they’ll surely be coming for you. Apart from salary there should be things you’re doing for them. Incentives, gifts, recommendations and help. If not, then you don’t deserve the gratitude.

Yes, I support showing appreciation, but only for the boss's helpful actions or favors—never for the salary I’ve earned. The rule of power, 'Never outshine the master,' is useful in office politics, but I discard it entirely when demanding my professional rights.

Sometimes you might even feel entitled due to the praise which might becloud your judgement of merit (hardwork) and more of favoritism (praises) due to ‘formalities’

Any praise I give is strictly for his positive impact; regarding my pay, the only communication he gets is the receipt notification. I keep my employment strictly professional and transactional. If my work merits a promotion, then so be it

Sonnobax15:
. You won't understand....

If you had been jobless for years and you luckily land a job, especially when all hopes seems to be lost, only then you'll understand why this employee has chosen to appreciate his employer...

It's a Servitudes Mentality .... Deliver Your soul from Slavery ...

Some people sells themselves Off ...

You can Be Appreciative No Doubt but Overdo na ihm make you to become a Puppet and other Stupidities follows Afterwards!