Bonuses are seen as a generous token of appreciation from employers rewarding their staff for their hard work, but for many, these “rewards” have turned out to be anything but.
A recent discussion on Instagram’s text-sharing app Threads shed light on the strange (and sometimes offensive) bonuses that bosses hand out, leaving employees feeling more insulted than appreciated.
The conversation was started by London-based entrepreneur and YouTuber Ben Askins, who has amassed 15,000 followers on the platform.
Askins, co-owner of green technology company Gaia, recently shared his own disappointing experience of being rewarded with a bonus during his former position as a hotel worker.
Asking his followers, “What’s the worst ‘bonus’ your boss has ever given you? I’ll start,” the content creator posted a photo of a poster promoting a staff appreciation event called “Slipper Friday.”
Bonuses are seen as a generous token of appreciation from employers rewarding their staff for their hard work, but for many, these “rewards” have turned out to be anything but (file image)
But instead of giving workers a nice perk, employees were offered a pair of used slippers, previously worn by hotel guests.
The description reads: ‘Dear colleagues. We are pleased to announce the “Slipper Friday” program at the D******* Hotel, where every associate has the opportunity to take home 4 pairs of used slippers. We look forward to seeing you!’
We received over 400 responses from employees across a variety of industries who shared their own stories of shocking and ridiculous bonuses, with comments ranging from the hilarious to the downright outrageous.
One user recounted a particularly disappointing gift: “I once had a boss thank me for handling a difficult situation with an employee by giving me a $10 Subway gift card… which only had $2.73 left.”
Another former supermarket worker revealed that after working overtime, he was allowed to take home rotten fruit as a form of bonus.
One disgruntled employee detailed his measly bonus, writing, “I wear jeans on Fridays…but I have to pay $1 to do so.” They collected money from those who wore jeans every week, but never knew where it went.
Ben Askins, co-owner of green technology company Gaia, recently shared his disappointing experience of being rewarded with a bonus during his former position as a hotel worker.
We received over 400 responses from employees across a variety of industries who shared their own stories of shocking and ridiculous bonuses.
Another worker recalled a “pizza lunch” where management provided four medium pizzas for a crew of 20 after telling them to “bring your appetite,” resulting in small, rationed portions that left most of the crew hungry.
A second person explained how her Christmas ‘bonus’ consisted of a shopping trip with her boss, who further suggested she would have to have ‘work outfits’ personally chosen for her.
Elsewhere, a professional chef shared: ‘I was a chef at a well-known international hotel chain. They held an employee appreciation day. The kitchen staff had to prepare all the food and set everything up.
‘The event was scheduled for a busy time of day, so none of the kitchen staff were able to come in until later. By that time, the remaining food was stale and cold. We were told to make ourselves a plate, clean everything up, and get back to work.’
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