Just Started Working, First Salary Isn’t Enough to Cover His Needs
A young man from a family that owns a business has just finished college and started working as a Management Trainee (MT) at his family’s company.
As a new employee, he receives a monthly salary of 10 million rupiah, in line with the company’s standard compensation for that position.
However, a complicated situation has arisen. During college, he was accustomed to a lifestyle supported by his parents’ financial assistance. In fact, his monthly expenses far exceed the salary he now receives.
For the company, Rp10 million is appropriate compensation for the position and responsibilities. However, for the child, that amount is not enough to maintain the standard of living to which he has become accustomed.
On the other hand, he is part of the family that owns the company. Does this status lead him to have different expectations regarding his income? What if other professional employees with the same position and responsibilities received an equivalent salary?
This issue becomes even more personal because the son is beginning to face the contrast between the life that was previously funded by his family and the income he now earns through his own work.
During college, he was accustomed to receiving financial support from his parents. Now, he has started working and is learning the value of money through the responsibilities he takes on himself.
Company Salary Standards vs. Family Living Standards
For parents, providing financial support to their children is part of family care and responsibility. That support doesn’t have to stop just because the child has started working.
However, problems arise when the child’s personal needs far exceed the salary they receive. Should parents continue to cover this shortfall, or should it be addressed through the compensation provided by the company?
At work, he serves as a Management Trainee with a salary on par with other professionals. At home, however, he remains the child who has long relied on financial support from his family.
For the child, this difference also brings new experiences. During college, they were accustomed to using the money provided by their parents. Now, they are beginning to understand that income from work is tied to time, responsibility, and the contributions they make.
On the other hand, parents may want to continue providing the comfort their child has always enjoyed. But what if that support starts to overlap with the income received from the company?
The issue isn’t merely whether a salary of 10 million rupiah is enough to meet their needs, but rather how the family views financial support for a child who now also has professional responsibilities.
What Can We Learn?
Teaching the value of money doesn’t have to start with limiting financial support for a child. Work experience can also shape a child’s understanding of effort, responsibility, and how income is earned.
How can families continue to support their children’s needs without blurring the line between money given as part of family support and income earned from a company?