‘Hugs and money’: Heartwarming story of Unilever manager melts social media; LinkedIn reacts

Theindiapostdaily.com – Sanjay Khosla, an executive coach and author, shared a moving story on LinkedIn. It dates back to his years working at Unilever, London.One Saturday in June, he received devastating news from Delhi. His brother called to say their father had suddenly passed away.

Everything changed instantly for Khosla at that moment. He immediately tried booking a flight home to Delhi. However, all flights that day were completely sold out.He called his boss to explain that he couldn't attend work.

His boss listened carefully before responding thoughtfully to the situation. He simply asked for 30 minutes before calling back. True to his word, the phone rang shortly afterwards.His boss revealed that a business-class ticket had already been arranged.

It was waiting at the British Airways counter at Heathrow.He told Khosla everything had already been taken care of. He encouraged him to go be with his family immediately. Khosla recalled being utterly stunned by this generous gesture.

At a moment of complete devastation, his boss eased his burden.This experience led Khosla to reflect deeply on workplace loyalty. He started thinking about why employees truly stayed at companies. He summarised his conclusion in three simple words: "Hugs and money".Khosla acknowledged the genuine importance of money in any workplace relationship.

He stressed the need to pay people fairly and generously.He said organisations must reward employees and recognise their contributions. However, he emphasised that money alone isn't sufficient for retention.“Money is important. I will never knock money.

Pay people well. Reward them. Recognize the value they create.

But people also need HUGS,” he wrote on LinkedIn.“They need to know you care. That you will show up when life gets difficult. That you have their back.

That plane ticket was a HUG. And I have never forgotten it,” he added.For Khosla, that business-class ticket represented far more than travel. He described it symbolically as a genuine, heartfelt "hug".Social media reactionsHis story has resonated widely with professionals across various industries.“This made me smile.

Unilever is awash with stories like this one- amazing culture (I hope they do not wipe it away). I know so many employees and even partners who have felt the Unilever warmth and care,” wrote one of them.“Sometimes companies avoid that, saying we will be going by the books and rules. We will be fair to everyone.

What they forget completely is that there is a huge gap of empathy in their rule books, and that is used as an excuse,” commented another user.One user posted, “As leaders, recognising that the team are ‘people’ with lives and not just ‘resources’ and being there for them in times of their need when ‘life happens’ – This is what makes the difference!!”