Employer revokes 2x and 3x bonus incentive to work weekends and holidays, is shocked when nobody decides to work those days resulting in missed deadlines: 'The company now stands to lose close to a 6 figure amount in penalties for missed turnaround times'

In business, there are only two ways to turn a (greater) profit: increase revenue, decrease costs. It is, of course, much easier and more tangible to decrease cost. Costs are like a metaphorical concrete block. They're just sitting there, all of them, right there in the L column of the P&L, constantly in view and offering reminders of their costliness, just waiting to be sculpted, crushed, or thrown out. 

Profit, on the other hand, is the idea of increasing sales by striking out into new verticals. That takes vision, it takes creativity, and has an intangible quality, owing to the fact that those extra sales are still just an idea, a possibility, a figment of imagination that is yet to be realized. And as we have seen with the eagerness with which people are willing to take up AI, a lot of us, and hence a lot of managers, struggle with imagination and creativity. We're seemingly more disconnected than ever from the reality of the steps needed to put an idea into motion. 

So, since the new avenues for profit can't be realized, it's time to cut off your foot and start throwing out those concrete blocks instead to save some money. Like your foot, some of those concrete blocks were probably integral to the foundation of the structure your company is built on, but we'll just close our eyes and worry about that later, and hope for the best.

This endless cost-cutting, of course, leads to a slippery slope of declining working conditions as the rug is pulled out from under everyone. Old heads burn out and leave in frustration. New hires, selected based on their willingness to be exploited and desperation for a job, are unaware of and unable to care about how things used to be. They are, after all, just glad to be back in employment.

Some costs, the right costs, are essential and important to the function of a business. And recognizing employees for their hard work and increased contributions with increased rewards is a core tenet of the employment relationship. 

At some point, push is going to shove where rubber meets road, and when this employer revoked the bonus incentive for employees to work holidays, they quickly learned the meaning of the word "incentive" when no one decided to work on those days when there was no promise of extra reward. 

Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
Add us on Google
Advertisement

Stay up to date by following us on Facebook!

Tags

workplace discussion employment issues antiwork jobs employees Horrible Bosses workplace story employment
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From FAIL Blog

After remote employee is forced to start workdays from the office, they decide to commute on bike, resulting in only two hours of active work a day: ‘I was paid to cycle around'

After remote employee is forced to start workdays from the office, they decide to commute on bike, resulting in only two hours of active work a day: ‘I was paid to cycle around'

Trending Now

Online handbag seller refuses to send bag to entitled customer after they demand a refund for two past orders, leading to a dispute on the site: ‘I decided to cancel the order’

Online handbag seller refuses to send bag to entitled customer after they demand a refund for two past orders, leading to a dispute on the site: ‘I decided to cancel the order’

01
Employee informs manager he has to miss work due to medical emergency, HR reframes this as a resignation: 'I never resigned!'

Employee informs manager he has to miss work due to medical emergency, HR reframes this as a resignation: 'I never resigned!'

02
Entitled neighbor files multiple complaints to HOA about new tenants, they threaten to pursue legal remedy if she doesn't stop, neighbor moves out: ‘Our use of the property was compromised’

Entitled neighbor files multiple complaints to HOA about new tenants, they threaten to pursue legal remedy if she doesn't stop, neighbor moves out: ‘Our use of the property was compromised’

03
16-year-old gets invited to friend's Costa Rica vacation, Mom gets unexpectedly billed for all expenses afterward: '[I] shouldn't have to pay!'

16-year-old gets invited to friend's Costa Rica vacation, Mom gets unexpectedly billed for all expenses afterward: '[I] shouldn't have to pay!'

04
HOA fines condo owner $500/month over noise complaints and expects them to redo their flooring, despite not having owned the condo when the original floors were installed: ‘Retaliation mixed with incompetence’

HOA fines condo owner $500/month over noise complaints and expects them to redo their flooring, despite not having owned the condo when the original floors were installed: ‘Retaliation mixed with incompetence’

05
30-year-old walks out of airport after entitled mother-in-law surprises her: '[Husband] said I was overreacting'

30-year-old walks out of airport after entitled mother-in-law surprises her: '[Husband] said I was overreacting'

06
Advertisement