Comments on: Crappy work incentives

By: Ranger Ron

Ranger Ron — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:54:11 +0000

At the large automotive plant where I worked we usually got nothing for Christmas until the year our great leader of a plant manager joined the plant’s acapella choir and gave each and every employee a cassette of Christmas songs performed by said plant choir. It turned out to be a gift that keeps on giving since copies turn up every year as gag gifts!

By: Krie

Krie — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:45:09 +0000

I have a second job doing retail part-time, and we also are encouraged to sign customers up for charge accounts. Our incentive? $2 per card! I’m not terribly motivated by $2, sorry to say. It just reminds me of the paperboy in “Better Off Dead”–”I want my $2!”

I also used to work for a payday advance company. One year, they told us we could hold a cookout at each branch, provided it didn’t interfere with the other merchants nearby. So we got all excited, thinking about the publicity it’d bring and how many new customers we’d gain. Until we were told that we’d get no help from the company locating anything for these cookouts–we would have to obtain donations on our own for everything, as they would not pay for food, decorations, etc. Oh, and it had to be planned during work hours (they were anti-overtime), when we had enough to do as it was. And did I mention there were only 2 people in each branch? Needless to say, the manager and I basically said forget it.

By: Not a travelling saleswoman!

Not a travelling saleswoman! — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:54:08 +0000

I work at a publishing company I wanted a raise this year, but my boss said he couldn’t offer one. But he added that, as I’d been working so hard, I should be able to attend fairs abroad.
Excuse me, since when is spending days on end in airports, planes and carpet-covered halls without seeing your family or friends (or even be able to do the tourist thing) and getting paid no overtime considered “a perk”?

By: Alicia

Alicia — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:08:46 +0000

Well, I dont have an actual job , but my boyfriend works for a company with a name that sounds a lot like Wal-Bart, and they give him the cute little notes that say L.E.C, which stand for Leave early cards. They are pretty self explanatory, but the catch is you dont get paid for the hour you leave early for. Best part is he works nights so if he uses one that means he gets to come home at 6am instead of 7am…Woo-de-freakin-hoo.

By: Anon

Anon — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:53:58 +0000

I worked for a .com electronics retailer that one year laid off half the staff in November, just as we were about to roll out some major new features on the website and right before the holiday rush. To reward us those of us left for our hard work through crunch time, they gave each of us a Rio 64mb MP3 player… and then the CEO praised the portable electronics buyer for getting pallets of them for $.03/each.

By: Professor Pan

Professor Pan — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:10:19 +0000

I don’t count work-sponsored parties or even happy hours as “incentives” for the simple fact that being forced to hang with my coworkers is not my idea of fun. It’s work, but even more uncomfortable because of the enforced social atmosphere. I don’t watch the tv shows those people do, and I dislike listening to recaps of them. Their lives are inane borefests and a few are even Republicans.

Give me the money and I’ll go get hammered with my friends, thankyouverymuch.

By: Ms. Mole

Ms. Mole — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:24:08 +0000

When I worked for Maryland Public Television they would have the occassinal barbedbecue for us employees, the one time Steve Raichlen the host of BBQ U cooked for us. They had an employee drawing for his books and the only people who won were the management from the front office. It was fixed. I did get a chiken leg.

By: Bitter

Bitter — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:22:25 +0000

I worked at a club for a year or so and during the year, they fired the general manager and REFUSED to hire anyone to replace him (what a trendy way to save money!) making all of us work twice as much for the same pay. Come christmas time, guess what? Our bonus had dissapeared and we didn’t even get so much as a thank you.

I made a comment to the owners assistant about the absence fo even a nice greeting card (I really would hve been happy with just that) and was told: “You want a Christmas, card? I’ll make him sign you a damn christmas card RIGHT now if it’ll make you happy.” Merry Christmas and goodwill to all men my arse!

By: JasonS

JasonS — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:47:59 +0000

In 2006 National Semiconductor gave all 8500 of its employees 30GB iPods. After 35 employees at its Arlington, TX, plant were laid off, the company asked them to return the iPods or buy them at “fair market value.” Some of the terminated employees had already sold them or given them away.

By: Stew

Stew — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:01:37 +0000

I work in the IT department of a large University. Many years ago no bonuses were given, which was OK. Then there were some demanding projects, where people worked 60-70 hours per week for a year or two. Those people were given $1000-$2000 bonuses. Not bad. The latest bonus for people working 60-70 hours per week is kudos. Yes at an all hands meeting your are called by name and handed a ‘Kudos’ candy bar.