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Last year, we took on a lot of new employees. Immediately, as a group, they started asking about Christmas bonuses. Our employers are very generous, in general. He told the group we do not have them. He explained to me on the side that if they are given once, they become "expected". Just like our "normal" bonus structure. Now, knowing we were going through a rough spot, I got a Christmas bonus, which I was told not to discuss with the others. It was a HUGE help.
Then about 3 months later, work slowed down and we stopped getting enough work to make production bonus levels. You would think that everyone would just be grateful to still have a job, right?
Nope. Every weekly conference since, one of the others ask when the bonus structure will be adjusted to make it "fair" now that work has slowed down... "fair"?! How can not ONE of them see that if things don't pick up, one of them (or more) will be out of a job?
(At the monthly meeting)
Employee Joe: What about our bonuses? I think we should get more, and also we deserve a Christmas bonus!
Boss: OK, Joe. Can I have your resignation? Because that's the only way we'll have the budget for bonuses. You'll take one for the team, won't you?
Employee Joe: Uh, nevermind!
(At the monthly meeting)
Employee Joe: What about our bonuses? I think we should get more, and also we deserve a Christmas bonus!
Boss: OK, Joe. Can I have your resignation? Because that's the only way we'll have the budget for bonuses. You'll take one for the team, won't you?
Employee Joe: Uh, nevermind!
Our boss says basically that, but in a nice way Unfortunately, people don't tend to take them seriously and they get taken advantage of a lot... they're just really nice guys and have a hard time firing people. They have, but usually, I would've fired them MONTHS before the bosses got around to it!
Last month, I joined the management team of an office for a large company (about 10,000 employees). Last week, during a meeting, my boss asked for suggestions on office operations and whatnot. Aside from a few, someone suggested we should have free lunch every Wednesday from now on paid by company account. I'm still a new guy, so I stayed quiet the whole meeting. People were nodding their heads saying oh yeah it's a good idea. My boss said yeah it's a good idea. So, apparently, starting next Wednesday people can write down what they want and someone will order lunch for the whole office with company account.
I've seen bosses paying for everyone's lunch every once in a while. I've never heard of an office management team deciding to get everyone free lunch once a week every week before. Have you heard of this? Is this normal?
Last month, I joined the management team of an office for a large company (about 10,000 employees). Last week, during a meeting, my boss asked for suggestions on office operations and whatnot. Aside from a few, someone suggested we should have free lunch every Wednesday from now on paid by company account. I'm still a new guy, so I stayed quiet the whole meeting. People were nodding their heads saying oh yeah it's a good idea. My boss said yeah it's a good idea. So, apparently, starting next Wednesday people can write down what they want and someone will order lunch for the whole office with company account.
I've seen bosses paying for everyone's lunch every once in a while. I've never heard of an office management team deciding to get everyone free lunch once a week every week before. Have you heard of this? Is this normal?
Normal.
My client in San Francisco has free breakfast and lunch on Thursdays.
My previous employer we had free breakfast one day a week in Research Triangle Park area.
Cheapest way to build morale and show appreciation
Forget that. You got money to pass around bagels, you got money to give me a raise.
So the company has 10,000 employees and if each of them had a free lunch one day a week it would cost the company lets say $100,000 a week or lets say about $0.25 an hour if you work a 40 hour week. After you pay taxes on that money, have SSI take out their part, you will get what, $0.13 an hour? $0.18 an hour?
Lets toss in some bagels in the morning and say that you get an extra Dime for your effort. So now you have an additional $0.23 or maybe $0.28 an hour. Lucky you. You can have the extra money. I will take the food. From my point of view that is lunch and or bagels that I don't have to buy.
I do hear this same idea from employees here at the hospital. Why don't they just give us the money instead of buying us Pizza all the time or giving us this small gift. The hospital will have pizza sent in when the census is high here at the hospital. When we are working our butts off they will buy us lunch. Maybe sandwiches or some other thing. And they give us small gifts during the year. Still if we were to take the total spent and give each employee that amount instead, it really would not change anyones life.
So the company has 10,000 employees and if each of them had a free lunch one day a week it would cost the company lets say $100,000 a week or lets say about $0.25 an hour if you work a 40 hour week. After you pay taxes on that money, have SSI take out their part, you will get what, $0.13 an hour? $0.18 an hour?
Lets toss in some bagels in the morning and say that you get an extra Dime for your effort. So now you have an additional $0.23 or maybe $0.28 an hour. Lucky you. You can have the extra money. I will take the food. From my point of view that is lunch and or bagels that I don't have to buy.
I do hear this same idea from employees here at the hospital. Why don't they just give us the money instead of buying us Pizza all the time or giving us this small gift. The hospital will have pizza sent in when the census is high here at the hospital. When we are working our butts off they will buy us lunch. Maybe sandwiches or some other thing. And they give us small gifts during the year. Still if we were to take the total spent and give each employee that amount instead, it really would not change anyones life.
Your $0.23 is = to $9.20 for a 40 hour week.
Your $0.28 is = to $11.20 for a 40 hour week.
BTW; SOON2BNSURPRISE: There isn't really a lot of taxes on that amount, even at the higher level incomes, unless it suddenly puts one into a higher tax bracket.
~To me, here where I live, $10.00 just for a slice or two of pizza IS RATHER EXPENSIVE here. For that I can get full entree at a sit down restaurant and enjoy myself, either chain or local {NOT a fast food joint}.
~For that, that is more than our minimum wage here. By far. {not that everyone is working for minimum, just saying}
~I'd rather have the $10.00, thank you.... Then I can CHOOSE 2 "Lean Cuisine" entrees, or 3 or 4, if they are on sale at my favorite store...THREE or 4 lunches instead of just a lousy scrap of pizza ONCE.
Now the hospital, especially the ER, perhaps, COULD benefit by "grabbing lunch on the run" IF and WHEN they are really busy. But then, do the workers ever really get their full break time?
My company used to offer benefits like that. The free vouchers at Honeybaked Ham each Thanksgiving and Christmas ended when people complained about not getting money instead. And the $600.00 bonuses each March (in addition to raises) ended when people complained that it wasnt enough money.
Perhaps other companies also ended their freebies not because of finances but because employees werent appreciative.
I have seen that... We used to do a catered dinner once a quarter for people that had perfect quality... It was a nice dinner, actually, served by members of leadership.
Too many people complained about the dinner choices, so, we did an awesome dessert bar. Again, more complaints... So..we just scrapped the whole thing.
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Unfortunately, people don't tend to take them seriously and they get taken advantage of a lot... they're just really nice guys and have a hard time firing people. They have, but usually, I would've fired them MONTHS before the bosses got around to it!
