Compensaciones

Don't family members deserve more pay than their non-family member colleagues?

No. A well-managed family business should pay all employees fairly according to their job responsibilities and performance. Inequality in regular compensation can lead to jealousy and poor morale. There are other, non-salary ways to provide family-member employees with a share of the family earnings from the company.

What are some of the other ways?

If family members are shareholders they can be awarded with appropriate dividends if the company does well. If there are no shareholders, certain percentage of profits can be shared by the owner and the other family business members according to a pre-determined formula.

But if there are brothers and sisters in the business, shouldn't they be paid the same?

There is a common feeling among some in the senior generation that equal pay for siblings will keep peace in the family. That may be good for the family for a while, but not necessarily good for the business. From a business point of view, all employees should be compensated for their job level, their experience, their longevity and how they perform against goals. When one sibling is ambitious and capable and the other is not, for example, equal pay regardless of performance can be a disincentive for the high performer, and can foster a sense of entitlement for the low performer. Ultimately, that's not good for family relations either.