I remember my Dad, at the fag end of his career, running his small business, INTEC, in Kolkata. He had to procure orders, do the paperwork, guide his workers on the job, deliver the finished goods, bill and extract payment, and pay his workers!

I remember him every fortnight coming home in the evening and announcing, “I made payroll today” in a satisfied voice. One of the joys of being a business owner is paying the people who work for you.

I’ve been present at INTEC when Dad made his payments. The workers---never more than five actually---took their money in cash, counted and made sure that they’d got the right amount, and signed for their payment. It was all done without fanfare, and nobody even smiled, but I could sense a mood of satisfaction all around.

Because, did you know sometimes workers couldn’t get paid, or were paid only partially? Especially in neighboring factories I knew of cases of delayed payment. Mostly it was for unavoidable reasons, but sometimes the business owner lacked integrity. Sometimes he was just a businessman, in it to make money. He had no love for the machines or the workers.

My Dad, being an engineer was not like that at all. He doted on his workers and the tools of his trade. He taught them himself how to sharpen a tool, how to clean a machine, how to handle a lathe or a milling machine in the correct way.

After doing all the paperwork, helped by his part-time accountant, Mr. Guha, my Dad managed to pay the rent, the electric bill and the insurance. He paid the durwan and the coolie. He paid his supervisor---when he could afford one---and managed to make a living from his efforts. At the end of the day, he took home a small profit to give to his wife, my mother.

But most of all, my Dad loved to meey payroll. He kept the system going, employing skilled people and giving them a just wage, his motto being, “A full day’s pay for a full day’s work”.