Company expects staff to cook food for their own employee appreciation event unpaid and off the clock, so one employee calls out boss for unlawful practice

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Jan 29, 2025 1:00 PM EST

We can all agree that most companies don't show enough appreciation for their employees and everything they do to keep these companies afloat. If it weren't for all the little guys, the big guys wouldn't get the insane payout that definitely has way too many dollar signs. It's a bit sinister to have employees work unpaid overtime at their own appreciation party, but I can't say I'm surprised. These companies will do anything possible to keep money in the higher-ups' pockets and take advantage of those who are lower on the corporate food chain.

The employee who posted this story tells the tale of how they bested their company after being expected to cook for an employee appreciation potluck. They believe the potluck was code for "we don't want to spend any money on you" and I have to say, I agree with them. They didn't cough up some extra dough for hard drinks and expected employees to spend their own time and money on cooking and ingredients. Instead of letting this happen, the employee confronts his boss in an outspoken manner and makes sure everyone knows that this practice will not continue. Scroll to see how the story unfolds.

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  • "Does this for-profit company expect 150 contractors to donate 3 or more hours of their personal time for their own appreciation meal?" CROCK POT 0000
    via Jacob McGowin for Unsplash

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "Want me to cook for my own ‘appreciation’ event? Gotta make sure I don't violate the overtime policy!"

    Years ago, I worked in a satellite office of a large department (300+ people) in a giant corporation. Half of the staff had salary/benefits while my half was hourly
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  • contractors. The department was run by two vindictive women who were wholly responsible for the toxic environment. They loved talking about how much they were like sisters; I
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  • loved pointing out that when you have sisters like them, one of them ends up under Dorothy's house. Like most companies, they were constantly
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  • blowing smoke up everyone's a about how much we're valued. And they showed that by inviting us to an Appreciation Potluck! There were going to be surprises! And delicious treats from our coworkers!
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  • Of course, the other shoe inevitably dropped: the company was providing only soft drinks as alc ol on company property is forbidden (except when it
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  • isn't). The only food at this "appreciation" potluck was what employees were expected to make ("nothing store-bought - share some love with us!"). They couldn't put it
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    Not allowing employees to purchase food is overkill—who has the time to cook before or after a 9-5 when a party is that same day?

  • in writing, but it got around that failing to cook something would be "noted." It's tough when the company won't give you a budget, but it's tone deaf and insulting to demand
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  • people give their own time to prop up the illusion the company cares when half your staff doesn't get health insurance. The
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  • participation non- mandate came straight from the top, and I wanted them thoroughly, inescapably embarrassed.
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  • Two days before the potluck while on a call with my boss, I dropped the live grenade in her lap: Boss: oh, before we go, I wanted to ask why you declined my Outlook
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  • invite for tomorrow afternoon. What's up? Me: oh I need to leave early tomorrow to cook for the potluck since I assume you can't authorize overtime for it. Boss: overtime?...
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  • Me: My recipe takes an hour or so to cook and the actual potluck is another 2 after business hours, so I was going to leave 3 hours early to keep myself at 40 hours this week.
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  • Boss: wait, you expect to get paid for cooking? Me: Half this staff is hourly contractors. Does this for- profit company expect 150 contractors to donate 3 or more hours of their personal time for their own appreciation meal?
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  • Boss: oh my God... nobody thought of how this looks? [she was asking herself more than me] Me: or nobody expected to be called on it.
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  • Boss: but who's getting called on it? Oh... [sighs] you're at your desk where everyone can hear... Me: correct. Boss: I have to go.
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  • I did feel bad about dragging her into it - she had enough on her plate - but I knew she'd just toss the grenade up the chain to people who get paid to know better. Our satellite office wasn't
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  • privy to many details, but I'm told my call sent people panicked and scurrying around at the mother ship, consuming a day and a half of a lot of people's time. Mission accomplished.
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  • SCORE! Pizza party!

    Cheezburger Image 10460401920
    via Simon Maage For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • In the end, they moved the potluck to lunchtime (during paid time for contractors) and bought our office pizzas - only our office. We were, however, instructed not
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  • to be eating the pizza when we Skyped in because everyone else would get upset. And yes, all the satellite offices were Skyping in like this was the Dunder Mifflin Infinity launch.
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  • lizzyote I love when employee appreciation events require the employees spend their time and money just for the company to take credit for it. If you're paycheck to paycheck, f bill. your electric
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  • SATerp Man, that's some nerve even to have an "Appreciation pot luck." These two things are not the same.
    via SATerp

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boss antiwork workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace malicious compliance bosses work coworkers malicious-compliance-reddit askreddit reddit story horrible-management workplace Horrible Bosses reddit thread red flag bad bosses malicious compliance reddit workplace malicious compliance entitled people toxic-work-environment
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