proverb · Words worth keeping
He who serves well need not be afraid to ask his wages.
He who serves well need not be afraid to ask his wages.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Work performed deserves recognition and agreed compensation. The saying encourages a person not to treat a request for payment as shameful.
What the words are saying
Good service is placed beside the right to ask for wages. It can challenge the expectation that a helpful worker should remain silent about what is owed. A careful reading does not make perfect performance a condition of basic dignity or excuse unfair terms. The specific agreement and circumstances matter; the proverb is a moral encouragement rather than an account of current employment law.
Everyday example
A worker politely asks for the payment agreed for a completed task instead of feeling that helpfulness requires silence.
When to use it
Use it to discuss fair recognition and an agreed payment for work.
What it does not mean
This is not legal advice, and dignity or fair treatment does not depend on flawless performance.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1710 · Wages
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English