Boss Requires His Employees To Read A Specific Book Every Month Or They’re Fired
Gage Skidmore from Surprise | Wikimedia CommonsEntrepreneur Patrick Bet-David revealed in an interview with Brian Rose on the "LondonReal Podcast" that he has one very specific requirement for all his employees and anyone who wants to work for him: They must read a book of his choosing every month, or they will be fired.
Bet-David, a 47-year-old veteran, conservative media mogul, and minority owner of the New York Yankees, explained that the book requirement might surprise some people, but it's something he lives by in both his personal and professional life. However, not everyone is on board with a boss requiring his employees to work without pay on their off hours, and reading outside of working hours so you don't get fired is definitely a job requirement.
Boss, Patrick Bet-David, requires his employees to read a specific book every month, or they will be fired.
"Everybody at the home office is required to read a book a month, or you're fired," Bet-David bluntly stated in the interview. While he didn't specify which company he was referring to, he is the founder and CEO of PHP Agency, a financial services marketing company that started in 2009. He also founded the media company Valuetainment and hosts his own podcast.
Bet-David wasn't kidding about the book requirement either. And while he claimed that the request might seem ludicrous, it's something he stands behind.
He reiterated that everyone in his company is expected to do it, and no one is exempt. It also can't just be any random book; it has to be something that Bet-David personally chooses and assigns to all of his employees every month. "You can read romance books all you want, but the one book I choose every month, we're all reading together," he insisted.
Not only do all of his employees have to read a book a month, but once they finish it, they must submit a full paper on it to him.
He explained that once the rule was implemented, he had to start bringing it up during the interview process so that potential candidates were aware of the expectations. Of course, most people are bewildered by such a thing, and some of his employees pointed out that Bet-David shouldn't be allowed to do it. However, he didn't care about objections.
"That's very awkward for some people, so they fought me on it. I said I'm not compromising this." When others argued that he couldn't make people read on their off time, Bet-David informed his employees that he would pay them for one hour every week to read on company time.
"Step away from your desk, go sit over there. I have this nice lounge area, go sit there and read. I'm gonna pay for you, so I'm gonna pay four hours a month for you to read," he added. "I'm paying you $60 a month versus some of you guys that get paid $100 an hour, now $400 to read on my time."
As many critics pointed out, depending on the length of the book and how long it takes to write a follow-up paper on the topic, four additional hours of payment doesn't seem like enough.
Bet-David has publicly recommended books he thinks everyone should read.
In another interview, which Bet-David posted a clip of on his personal TikTok page, the NY Yankees owner admitted that he is an avid reader and seems to gravitate toward the educational and self-help genre. When asked to give a list of books that influenced him, Bet-David didn't have to think twice.
"I would say 'Hypomanic Edge,' it's not a famous book. [It] made me realize it's okay to be wired the way I am. 'Hypomanic' will kind of give you an idea of how the individuals are and what they've built. It talks about craziness, business, and massive success."
Next, Bet-David recommended "Barbarians to Bureaucrats," written by Lawrence Miller. He explained that the book describes the evolution that every society goes through, from the prophet to barbarian to builder, explorer, administrator, bureaucrat, and aristocrat.
"I would put '33 Strategies of War' by my good friend Robert Green," he continued. "Phenomenal book. 'Blue Ocean Strategy' on how to separate yourself from the marketplace." Bet-David also spoke highly of several other books, including 'Psycho-Cybernetics' by Maxwell Maltz and 'Power Vs. Force' by David R. Hawkins.
Not everyone was on board with requiring employees to read specific books.
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While it can be understandable for a business owner to want his employees to be well-read and educated, many people found it problematic and a glaring "red flag" that it was something forced upon them, or else their jobs would be in jeopardy.
Not everyone has the same taste in books, and forcing people to read material they may not align with, either personally or professionally, can be an issue. It's also a CEO's job to listen to feedback from their employees, and if many of them felt strongly against the requirement, it's in Bet-David's best interest to compromise, even if he personally doesn't want to, for the overall benefit and well-being of the people who work for him.
Instead of making it mandatory, Bet-David could present it as optional for employees and offer the opportunity to read while on company time. Dropping the book report requirement would probably get more people on board as well.
The success of any company depends on the happiness and productivity of its employees, and having questionable rules and expectations can only jeopardize that.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
