I’ve got another example of deterrents to being a Good Samaritan at work: a company’s
greed.

I’m a developer of software tools at a company that has been going through a huge slump for the past couple of years). Some of the tools I develop are used by my colleagues to simplify their work when dealing with customers (often late at night and/or on the customers’ sites). Whenever one of my colleagues asks me if I can put something together to help them in these situations (or whenever I see a chance to do so), I usually drop what I’m doing and work on that.
I really feel good about my tools’ helping a colleague get through a tense customer-site job more quickly and easily.

Nowadays, we’re being "scolded" by our Management for spending our time doing things that "we’re not being funded for".
I know that some people I work with have already become afraid of this "scolding" and have backed out of helping people. I’m trying to keep helping out whenever I’m needed, but I’m a bit concerned that Management might end up laying me off for doing so.