Dear Jeanne & Leonard:
A young man noticed that the car in my driveway had a βFor Saleβ sign on it, and he offered me 100 hours of labor in exchange for my vehicle. I said OK. βZachβsβ been working down the hours, and everythingβs going fine. Recently, though, heβs been bringing a helper with him, and now Iβm unsure about where things stand between us. Do I count the helperβs hours toward the 100 hours Zach agreed to work, or should Zach work the 100 hours himself and pay his helper as he sees fit? And is this my decision, or his?
β Judy K., Arkansas
Dear Judy:
What does your contract with the young man say? ... Just kidding. If people put all their agreements in writing, weβd be out of business.
But to answer your question: Zach must imagine that his helperβs hours count toward paying off his debt. Otherwise, why would he be bringing the guy? That said, if the helper is as good a worker as Zach, thereβs no reason his hours shouldnβt count toward Zachβs debt. If, however, you think an hour of the helperβs time is worth less than an hour of Zachβs, you need to talk to Zach ASAP and clear things up.
And just so thereβs no misunderstanding: Youβre the employer here, meaning itβs for you β not Zach β to decide whether his helperβs work is satisfactory.
Dear Jeanne & Leonard:
My family has a small charitable foundation that makes what I would call significant contributions to organizations in our community. The foundation was established by our great-grandparents to provide medical services to the indigent (Great-Granddad was a doctor). Hereβs why Iβm writing: Some of my cousins and I would like our foundation to also support several local conservation programs. But other cousins say weβre obligated to honor the wishes of our forebears. Isnβt it unreasonable for these cousins to insist that we stick so literally to the original mission of the foundation? Times have changed, and I feel that if they were alive today, our great-grandparents would be fine with what we have in mind.
β H.A., New York
Dear H.A.:
So theyβve run out of sick poor people where you live?
Look, your great-grandparents endowed that foundation to address a need they particularly cared about, the need for the indigent to receive better medical care. Had they wanted their as-yet-unborn great-grandchildren to decide whether their money might be better spent on other causes, they would have put those sentiments in writing; you wouldnβt have to turn to your inner clairvoyant and βfeelβ them.
All of which is not to say that youβre wrong to be concerned about conservation efforts in your community. Far from it. Thereβs no reason why you and your like-thinking cousins shouldnβt follow the example of your generous great-grandparents and support, with your own money, the local organizations that address the problems you care deeply about.