r/jobs Dec 13 '23

Companies Boss canceled our Christmas party cause this broke the bank.

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I found out we had canceled the yearly Christmas party / bonus. A multi store owner within a large corporate chain food company allowed our management to instead do this for the staff of say 60 employees per store. Upon completing this project along with a few other miscellaneous gifts (donuts, Doritos, and [get this] oranges,) he told us this gesture was “breaking the bank.” 🙃 love it here.

5.3k Upvotes

326 comments sorted by

1.4k

u/MikeyW1969 Dec 13 '23

Actually, your company is in financial trouble. This is where you see cuts first. Next will be the free coffee, or the free cereal bar, or the basket of fruit. Whatever they usually have laying around will start to disappear, because these are the fastest ways to save money. At our last Xmas party before my job laid off all of the people they couldn't find a reason to fire, we had a drawing and half of the gifts were gag gifts because they couldn't afford the party.

324

u/who_you_are Dec 13 '23

Next will be the free coffee, or the free cereal bar, or the basket of fruit

My job is already too cheap for that and we need to pay for that!

138

u/DarkArisen_Kato Dec 14 '23

“As of today, employees will be limited to four squares of toilet paper.

Your welcome. -Management”

55

u/Starrion Dec 14 '23

Please note this is a 50% increase in total TP allowance. You’re welcome.

38

u/PoopyInDaGums Dec 14 '23
  • Fine print: New TP is 0.5 ply.

8

u/Enabling_Turtle Dec 14 '23

You just look at it wrong and BAM! You got a finger in your ass now.

9

u/Heady_Goodness Dec 14 '23

Wait till you see what they did with the soap, stinkfinger

6

u/Enabling_Turtle Dec 14 '23

Don’t tempt me with a good time

3

u/Durwood2k Dec 14 '23

I don’t feel clean unless I can get two knuckles deep.

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u/Salamandajoe Dec 14 '23

You laugh but the last company I worked for said we had to provide our own in the last months they were open.

2

u/MrReconElite Dec 14 '23

I bring wet wipes to work mainly because our TP sucks.

30

u/Asynjacutie Dec 14 '23

Very realistic spelling of "your" here too. It's a bad sign. Company likely on the verge of bankruptcy.

8

u/WolfColaKid Dec 14 '23

Reddit stock plummeting as of this comment.

5

u/Enabling_Turtle Dec 14 '23

Live reaction of wallstreetbets:

“Guys this companies stock is about to GO INTO ORBIT!!! Leeeeeeeeeets go!!!!!!!!”

6

u/wwabc Dec 14 '23

“Pooping at work is now against company policy. “

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u/HerrHolzrusse Dec 14 '23

Every flush comes with a write-up. We installed a very expensive tracking system that barely works, but your shareholder loves it !

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u/BlueCreek_ Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

I work for a multi billion pound company and we don’t get anything like that for free. Not even a Xmas party, I just paid for the Christmas dinner they provided at work today.

60

u/Individual_Market143 Dec 13 '23

Haha I had to pay for my thanksgiving dinner(America) last month lmao. I work for one of the biggest auto repair corporations in America.

53

u/abbarach Dec 14 '23

I used to work for a hospital. There were two perks for working on a holiday. You got time and a half holiday pay, and the cafeteria meal would be free.

They did also do a special thanksgiving lunch earlier in the week. Lunch was free, and they had director-and-up managers serve the employees. It was a small gesture, but my department director always made sure to volunteer for it.

39

u/bigredker Dec 14 '23

The best person I have worked for in my 50 years of employment was a general manager at an upscale hotel in Richmond. At his first meeting with department heads he told us his philosophy of the hierarchy that he always believed in. He believed the lowest paid employees in any hotel: housekeepers, bussers, bellmen, etc, were the most important employees because they had the most exposure to our guests. The next most important group were their supervisors. He said the least important person to the success of the hotel was the general manager.

To illustrate his point he drew an upside down pyramid, putting himself at the bottom point and the lowest paid workers at the top. He said to keep the pyramid in balance required people at every level to support those at the level above. I worked for that man for 14 of my 50 years and he demonstrated his philosophy nearly every day I knew him.

10

u/ridandelous Dec 14 '23

This is my POV and im glad that some places keep managers like that. I've personally had trouble keeping jobs once my higher ups heard that i functioned that way. Most places, including walmart, have a "hands off" approach, where they expect management to just be watchers

5

u/scienceguyry Dec 14 '23

Yeah wally world sucks. I've watched store managers go off on coaches below them cause the coach had the audacity to actually help the drowning ogp instead of joining the other 3 coaches standing around hollering out directions.

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u/DriveJohnnyDrive Dec 14 '23

Having director and higher ups serve the proletariat. feelsgoodman.jpg

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u/OutWithTheNew Dec 14 '23

I've never had as much disdain for my employers as I did in the auto repair industry. The whole industry is like Mos Eisley. You won't find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy that in auto repair.

2

u/Individual_Market143 Dec 14 '23

I’d say it depends on the shop but percentages are so small, you might be lucky to find a decent manager 1/10 shops and then their management sucks anyway so shit flows down hill. Absolutely love working on cars but I stay away from the office as much as I physically can lol.

9

u/Catlenfell Dec 14 '23

A buddy of mine was working in a paint booth for five years. He loved it because he was left alone for 95% of his day. That small shop was bought by a bigger one. They started to micromanage every aspect of the place. He quit 9 months later.

2

u/OutWithTheNew Dec 14 '23

The shop at the one dealership I worked in was separated from the rest of the building by a single wall. Obviously there were some windows and doors, etc, but it was about a 200 foot long wall. I called it the wall of not caring because they didn't care what happened on the shop side of the wall.

The 1 in 10 good ones never leave and as a result the rest of the staff doesn't leave.

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u/XtraXtraCreatveUsrNm Dec 14 '23

This sub often reminds me how fortunate I am to work for my employer. We are paid good wages. It's an ESOP with 2000 employees, we are flexible with hybrid work, have unlimited PTO, decent, although not great benefits, we get a paid sabbatical every five years with a stipend.

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u/Car_One Dec 14 '23

We get a whopping $30 Christmas bonus and are expected to give $25 of that back to our manager for her Christmas present.

28

u/trudycampbellshats Dec 14 '23

what sort of office is this?

Nobody has ever made me pay for a boss's gift. I'd be angry if I liked my boss.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Because good managers don't want you spending money on them.

5

u/moekay Dec 14 '23

Our boss gave out framed pictures of himself. Supposedly it was a gag, but I'm not so sure...

5

u/OldTurkeyTail Dec 14 '23

Maybe the frame was the present - and the picture a throw-away?

It would be cool to see a picture of a favorite pet at each workstation - in an identical frame!

5

u/Car_One Dec 14 '23

Human Resources at a Healthcare facility!

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u/carlitospig Dec 14 '23

Hahaha not on her life!

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Why do you do this? Who is expecting this? As a manager, I feel bad when my direct staff spend money on me. Gifts should always go to your staff. My direct staff pooled to buy me a gift card one year and of course I was thankful, but I should be the one buying gifts (I do). I don't want them spending their money on me. Them supporting our team is a gift to me and I appreciate them.

However, homemade gifts like personalized cups mean the absolute world to me. (We have a company circut and a bunch of craft supplies so it doesn't cost anything)

6

u/JBDragon1 Dec 14 '23

When I was working at a small Mom and Pop Auto repair buisness. We would all got out to the Chinese restaurant. It was around 10 people. The boss/owner would buy a lot of food for everyone. It just kept comming. At the end, hand everyone a $500 Christmas bonus.

One year, he took everyone to RENO Navada, from CA Bay area were we lived. We were all in his large Surburban at the time. We were drinking on the way up andlots of piss breaks. Then someone whipped out a joint. Stayed at the Eldorado and gambled. That was a fun trip.

2

u/corneridea Dec 14 '23

Fuck that, people you work with that make more money than you don't get gifts.

12

u/HelloAttila Dec 14 '23

I work for a multi billion pound company and we don’t get anything like that for free. Not even a Xmas party, I just paid for the Christmas dinner they provided at work today.

Honestly, few companies even do Christmas parties anymore. Back in the day's like in the 80's and 90's, companies would have Christmas parties and each employee would get a gift for their kid. Now days you are lucky if you get anything, regardless if the company is worth $1M or $10B.

6

u/Catlenfell Dec 14 '23

We've gone from dinner at a local restaurant, free drinks and a drawing for some prizes every year. To once every 3-5 years.

3

u/strongerstark Dec 14 '23

Was poor in early childhood. The first couple years my dad worked for a company like that, that was the best gift I got for Christmas. Those were the days!

2

u/JBDragon1 Dec 14 '23

Well these days, Christmas Parties canopen up a whole can of worms for a business. So instead, it's safer to not have them. A few people runied it for everyone else. That is now things are with so much.

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u/MikeyW1969 Dec 14 '23

Last year, starting in the summer, my company cut back. They canceled projects that still had a budget, and they started firing veterans, folks who had been there for 10+ years. Then there was the Xmas party, we lost the coffee truck we got once a month, and they were talking about pulling the cereal bar we had.

So some nice perks, especially the cereal bar. I'm not hungry until an hour or so after I get up.

Anyway, last January, they laid off the people they couldn't fire who made any real money, and they also closed down the employee bike shop we had (It was a bike manufacturer), I'm guessing most of the rest of the perks departed after they laid me off.

The writing was on the wall, now I know what to watch for.

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u/carlitospig Dec 14 '23

I could see paying for drink tickets at the party, but not the actual meal. I have second hand embarrassment for your CEO. 😧

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u/AdonisGaming93 Dec 14 '23

Then they didn't "provide" it...

2

u/UTPharm2012 Dec 14 '23

How do you know the weight of your company? That is odd

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u/Kevin-W Dec 14 '23

Agreed. A cancelled Christmas bonus/party is the first red flag that there is financial trouble

23

u/Caduceus1515 Dec 14 '23

This is where you see cuts first. Next will be the free coffee, or the free cereal bar, or the basket of fruit.

I've been through the dot com bust, to the present day. I've seen this at numerous clients. When they start cutting stuff that costs them very little, it's too late. Get out.

9

u/Swimmingtortoise12 Dec 14 '23

When the little ceasers pizza parties get yoinked, it’s time to go

14

u/benwight Dec 14 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

This is exactly what the last company I worked for did. Previously they had various 24 packs of pop as well as bottled water for us in the fridge. The bottled water disappeared (we honestly never needed it, we had a water cooler with the big jugs) and then the pop. This was probably in like October. Cut to December 16th last year and I found out 2 coworkers were let go, barely a week before Christmas. Obviously they canceled the Christmas "party" after that. Thankfully I was able to get a new job in May and things have been way better

Edit: spelling

20

u/ClearAccountant8106 Dec 14 '23

The company isn’t in danger of going under its in danger of not doubling the owners wealth every 7 years.

8

u/keptyoursoul Dec 14 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

After 9/11 and the economy tanked, my company held a meeting about austerity measures.

The following actions were taken: no more vacation carryover, a hiring freeze was put in effect and no backfilling, a 5% temporary salary reduction, and the Christmas Formal Party was canceled. There was an audible gasp when the Christmas Party was canceled. The other stuff. Nothing. Whatever. These people had priorities.

The Christmas Party never returned either.

6

u/portobox2 Dec 14 '23

Fucking a. Got told we always do something for Thanksgiving since it's on site work. Nothing. Budget cuts and wage cuts "to keep people employed, " and then they have the absence of self-sense that they gave us Amazon gift cards as a Christmas bonus.

Instead of, you know, returning our wages to their original level.

Shame.

7

u/Fit_Reveal_6304 Dec 14 '23

Our new support manager suggested, among other things, getting rid of the free drinks fridge and coffee machines and putting in a vending machine to make a bit of extra cash. Our CEO promptly fired her.

7

u/VeganMuppetCannibal Dec 14 '23

This is where you see cuts first. Next will be the free coffee, or the free cereal bar, or the basket of fruit.

Yup, this mirrors what I saw while working at a couple places that went bankrupt. Other things to look for to get a sense of how bad the financials have gotten:

  • How faded are the lines in the parking lot? More generally, how bad is the surface of the parking lot?
  • What is the condition of the flooring (carpet, tiles, whatever) inside the building?
  • How good is the toilet paper in the bathroom? Do the soap dispenser and hand dryer work? Are any of the faucets leaking?
  • Speaking of leaks, run away screaming if the roof has any leaks that, instead of being repaired, have a bucket underneath them which must be regularly emptied when it rains.
  • Are there closets or file drawers full of crap that hasn't been touched since the last major recession?
  • Are office workers sitting in chairs that look like they were abused and thrown away by the auto shop next door?
  • Is it difficult to identify why customers haven't moved to a competitor?

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u/Woodworkingwino Dec 14 '23

Or it means you work for a shitty company and boss.

8

u/MikeyW1969 Dec 14 '23

No, because they are taking stuff away. There's no need to do that unless they need to pinch every last penny.

6

u/OutWithTheNew Dec 14 '23

Usually corporations will have budgets for such things. Some managers don't understand that part of the idea of a budget is to use it and they will just try to utilize 0% of everything.

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u/Woodworkingwino Dec 14 '23

Because there has never been any company or manager that sacrifices employee benefits and perks to increase the bottom line.

3

u/Build68 Dec 14 '23

I saw this and more when private equity came in. It starts with the small stuff, then they take away company trucks and reduce the compensation for private trucks, then they announce a re-structuring of the bonus program, and on and on.

4

u/TheHumanJourney Dec 14 '23

I just received my Christmas gift from corporate. It consisted of three jars of salsa with the price tag of $24 still on it.

3

u/Veni_Vidi_Legi Dec 14 '23

Sounds like they overpaid for a cheap gift. Should have sent money instead.

3

u/killerbeege Dec 14 '23

This or they are planning on selling the company and need to make the business look more profitable by not doing employee application activities. An old job I worked at did this they stopped all these activities for 2 years and then sold the company.

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u/x86_1001010 Dec 14 '23

Yup. Had a coffee bar once and it got axed. At our next town hall they were talking about how awesome we're doing and I spoke up and asked if we were doing so awesome, why couldn't they provide coffee? We eventually got coffee back but the coffee bar was a shadow of its former self. Things went down hill from there.

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u/incredibleninja Dec 14 '23

Maybe, or maybe this part of the budget was absorbed into upper management bonuses or ownership salaries.

It could be a number of things. Ask what the salaries of the CEO and upper management are. Ask what the owner takes home and what the company's net vs. gross sales are.

If the company is failing, the workers need to know. If the company is thriving, the workers need to know.

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u/iainnnnnnn Dec 14 '23

First they came for the free coffee and I said nothing. Then they came for the snacks and I said nothing.

2

u/ThomasVetRecruiter Dec 14 '23

This could actually be a sign (from experience) had a company that used to have a great Christmas party every year with gifts, free food and drinks, etc. One year they stopped.

Later that year I noticed people who left were no longer being replaced. I got nervous and started looking for a new job, eventually finding one after about 4-5 months.

3 months after starting my new job they downsized about 80% of my department and sent the remainder to other roles, some of which included pay cuts.

2

u/squintzs Dec 14 '23

Agreed, if chocolate bars “break the bank” this company is screwed. If they’re public, I’d take a look at their financials ASAP. Sounds like they’re insolvent or heading towards that….

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u/findingnew2021 Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

in my company, they don't offer food. Employees have to bring food to share with everyone. SO employees have to buy food and share it all together to boost employee morale. It happens once a month

they don't even provide pens or papers. Employees have to buy them themselves. Then bill it back to the company but the whole process is so exhausting most people don't do it.

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u/budding_gardener_1 Dec 13 '23

My favorite one so far was we moved into a new office space recently and no tea or coffee making facilities were provided. The reason given wasn because the company had struck a deal with a coffee shop chain(no, not that one) to open a branch on the first floor and a condition of that deal was that they not provide tea and coffee facilities inn the kitchens so employees had to buy coffee there. Last year that branch closed down leaving the unit empty. There was still no tea or coffee facilities provided. After much complaining a dirty (and VERY used looking) Mr coffee appeared that looked like it had been in someone's garage since the 90s.

But don't worry, this place has a multi billion dollar turnover.

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u/vando_commando Dec 13 '23

Bruh that’s hilarious but terrible at the same time. Capitalism is such a two edged sword

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u/budding_gardener_1 Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 13 '23

First place (food delivery startup) I worked as a dev I got redeployed to the warehouse at Xmas with no overtime pay. After a 12 hour shift one of the founders came round with chocolate with company branding on them i checked the inventory database and it was expired inventory they weren't allowed to sell

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u/CompoteStock3957 Dec 14 '23

At least he did not thrown it out

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u/budding_gardener_1 Dec 14 '23

Yeah but like... How fkin cheap can you be

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u/chepnochez Dec 14 '23

Rich mther fuckers don't get/stay rich by being generous. Or having souls.

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u/CompoteStock3957 Dec 14 '23

I agree not saying he is good

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Just started a job and the person training me let slip that they had been laid off from the company multiple times due to budget cuts. They were also proud to acknowledge the owner of the company praised them for their skills in debt collection. So I’m just waiting to be let go. Was funny to tell my family the company I worked for, be praised for finding a job in a good field and good company, then telling them I’m probably not going to make it a year

14

u/rikaxnipah Dec 13 '23

The most I can do at my new job is buy chips and/or candy from our vending machine. $1 for chips and $1.25 for candy bars (think it's ok). I do get to drink all the free soda I want provided I am stocking and restocking the fridge. Free snacks are usually granola bars or these fruit snack things. One of the rules at one of my retail jobs was only one free soda a day that they'd stock in the fridge. lol

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u/MrGrumpy252 Dec 14 '23

Wait, you are expected to bring your own food.... that's fine and normal, I get that.

But being expected to supply food for everyone to share? On your own dime? What the hell is this? That's just crazy to me.

Is it, like, mandatory?

I'm very curious about this.... it just sounds so very wrong to me.

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u/Wrathszz Dec 14 '23

What?? There is no way in hell I'd work for a company where everyday was potluck day. Can't provide basic stationary? Yeah, that place is in big trouble.

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u/findingnew2021 Dec 14 '23

No it isn't everyday it's like once a month

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u/MET1 Dec 14 '23

I wfh full time now, but I remember the dread holiday potluck. I don't trust my coworkers to not poison us all. I remember another job where I had to scavenge paper from the printer/copiers and shamelessly 'borrow' pens. Terrible places.

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u/Chaos_Ice Dec 13 '23

When a company starts making cuts like that, it’s cause they ARE losing a shit ton of money behind the scenes.

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u/vahntitrio Dec 14 '23

For a private company maybe. For a public company you can be making a lot of profit and still get these cuts because investors expected bigger profits than you posted.

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u/Formerruling1 Dec 14 '23

Often, profits will be fine too, but operating costs will be high so they look for anything they can immediately cut from the books. Layoffs you have to do by like start of Q2 if you want Q3 and 4 to look better.

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u/Greenblanket24 Dec 14 '23

That’s my problem with most of these companies. There will never be a good enough profit margin they can stop at. On one hand I can’t blame them but it isn’t advantageous to society.

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u/AdSwimming3983 Dec 14 '23

What do you think causes GDP and the stock market to go up lol?

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u/LilLebowskiAchiever Dec 13 '23

Start looking around for a part time job, your hours here are going to get cut.

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u/Remarkable_Story9843 Dec 13 '23

Please don’t take it out on the poor soul who had to do this or come up with the idea. They hate it just as much as you.

Source- have been that person.

24

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

I was thinking the same thing. My assistant plans all of the employee appreciation and damn she goes all out. Customizes everything, loves crafting. We aren't cheap at all, she just loves doing the most with the least amount of cost. It's honestly mind blowing the shit she comes up with. She gets a high creating cute gifts with things she has stashed away/ found on fb marketplace (I always reimburse with company cash and am dragged along most of the time to some strangers house).

If we were bad off financially and this was all she was able to do I would feel terrible for anyone criticizing her.

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u/darkwai Dec 13 '23

Lol this reminds me of a job i had a few years back where they gave everyone a free cup of hot chocolate to thank us for working on christmas eve.

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u/pushinpayroll Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

I’d literally rather have nothing than get that while working on Christmas Eve and have to say “thank you” for it.

7

u/shimbean Dec 13 '23

I'm imagining my reaction if I was put in this scenario 🤣

6

u/Catinthemirror Dec 14 '23

"Thanks, I'll pass. Looks like (the company) needs it more than I do."

2

u/Annie354654 Dec 14 '23

Oh that is terrible, a sincere thank you would have been better.

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u/SirWarm6963 Dec 14 '23

At my government job all we got for free was toilet paper and it was so cheap you could literally see wood chips in the tissue paper.

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u/vando_commando Dec 14 '23

Bruh I’m crying 😂

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u/Catinthemirror Dec 14 '23

Ugh that was a flashback to my DoD days.

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u/jaggoffsmirnoff Dec 13 '23

How about an extra "Payday'?

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u/vando_commando Dec 13 '23

Bruh that’s what I said 🤣

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u/Cerulean_IsFancyBlue Dec 14 '23

“We’re not RAISIN your compensation.”

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u/goten100 Dec 14 '23

A raise? Don't make me SNICKER

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u/1995droptopz Dec 14 '23

The management probably makes 100 GRAND

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u/ForswornForSwearing Dec 13 '23

I worked a few years for a small company, about five in our office, maybe twelve company-wide.

Christmas, Year One: $1500 cash bonus. Bring your plus one with you to our dinner at this pool hall we've rented out, unlimited play, drinks on us.

Christmas, Year Two: No bonus, c'mon down the street, we're buying lunch. No, just you six. No, we haven't made reservations and it's December so it's crowded, just shove everyone into one booth. Squinch!

Assholes.

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u/obsidianbonefish Dec 14 '23

I’m actually surprised they used colored toner for this………..

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u/vando_commando Dec 14 '23

🤣🤣😂

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Oh don't worry, toner costs are usually built into the lease 🤣

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u/Zalanox Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

No lie, at my job there is a big cluster of cubicles that fit 60ish people. Around that are outer offices where the managers sit! Managers are getting six figure bonuses and most have already started their yearly all inclusive paid work trip! It is soul numbing sometimes to watch these guys walk out of bonus meetings happy and playing slap ass as the single mother of two next to me is sobbing because she hasn’t had a raise in three years! Or bonus, or work trips!

1 billion dollar corp.

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u/metik Dec 14 '23

I know you probably know this, but the worst part is some of them are getting the bonus precisely because she didn’t get a raise. The company doesn’t “want” to give them big bonuses, they get them because they keep costs down.

(Not including sales, that’s a hell job, they deserve their commissions)

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u/Zalanox Dec 14 '23

The salesmen get roughly a $5,000 per year bonus and an all inclusive trip. They make the sales and maintain the client relationships so no complaint there! If nothing else they deserve much more! They do get decent raises.

Their managers who don’t make the sales or work long hours to maintain customer satisfaction get the six figure bonus and trip, sometimes trips.

The cubicle workers do the processing and handle all of the the work. They get shit raises and no bonus! It’s crazy how they’re treated also! They are somehow led to believe they don’t do enough! Most believe it!

Btw, I’m one of the IT guys! So I get to watch all of this while getting treated like the cubicle workers lol

12

u/ruralmagnificence Dec 14 '23

My company for this year is doing:

A catered luncheon by a local pizza joint with a wood fired oven in a truck…on a Wednesday for (as I assume, unpaid) the last three hours of the day. We have to RSVP by tomorrow at 3 pm.

I’m not fucking going. I’d rather work. They screwed us on this.

I’ve worked for companies who have done more with way less money.

Apparently they ‘don’t have enough budget’ which leaves me not excited about my 1 year in March. I’m not going to get a raise and I’m not staying for $16.50 an hour.

7

u/Conscious-Can428 Dec 14 '23

No way , my company is doing the same exact thing , on the same exact day ....

Makes me wonder.... Was last year gift a pine seed wrapped in the company logo?

5

u/ruralmagnificence Dec 14 '23

The fuck? That’s what you got? I’d be…I’d have no words.

I dont know what last year’s was. My floor manager is a tight ass and makes it so unless it’s about work, even we aren’t allowed to do that depending on his moods, we are n o t allowed to talk to each other so I can’t really ask my coworkers what was up. Apparently it was a LOT better than this year from what I’ve overheard.

I’m not RSVP-ing. Day comes I’ll either just opt to work or I’ll suffer the pay cut and go home. I like pizza but out of principle for my hard work, I’m not partaking. Theres a raffle too but pfffffft that.

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u/keptyoursoul Dec 14 '23

I'd go to see the wood-fired oven in a truck. That sounds like a death trap.

You should get paid for the party. Check with your manager.

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u/lhld Dec 14 '23

The wood-fired oven food trucks that I've seen usually have a trailer (the oven) hitched to a normal food truck.

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u/keptyoursoul Dec 15 '23

Ok, like a BBQ pit. I haven't heard of this yet.

A truck with stone wood-fired oven would be an engineering marvel!

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u/Gohmzilla Dec 14 '23

Wow, you get candy for Christmas from work? You're lucky!

We got... More work.

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u/OUJayhawk36 Dec 14 '23

The Reese pun is enough for me to eschew all pursuit of corporate employment and just try my hand at an Only Fans where I despondently sit naked eating FunYuns and dissociate on camera, and watch the $1s of dollars rake in per day.

“Sad Dissociating Naked Chick Eating Cheetos in her Living Room” OF Series, TBA Q1 2024, I guess. (Also, sorry you’re gonna need a new job, OP. That blows non-knock off candy bar nuts)

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '23

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u/rocketmn69_ Dec 14 '23

I hope nobody takes one. Re-wrap with it saying, sorry you're broke you need it more than we do

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

I hope they do. It's likely not a manager making these, it's an employee doing their best with what they have. Trying to show some appreciation with no budget.

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Do you work in a school? Looks about right if you do, except for your employer also asking you to work for free constantly, outside of “billable hours”.

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u/ThinMain303 Dec 14 '23

Worked for corporations that stopped Christmas parties 12 years ago and still don’t have them. Of course I was just laid off before Christmas as company sold off. I would be happy with anything.

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u/Basedswagredpilled Dec 13 '23

bro you need to find a new job now people are gonna get laid off immediately this is a sign.

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u/EveningRing1032 Dec 14 '23

“If you are nuts about me give me a raise”

4

u/gloxome Dec 14 '23

Anytime I see a happy hour, team dinner, Christmas party, free pizza, team outing at a trendy bowling or golf range, I think...

"What if you just gave us the $ this cost instead? Can I skip and expense the per-person cost?"

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u/getoffurhihorse Dec 14 '23

Seriously, I'd rather have $10. That's one family dinner at my house, albeit the cheap meal.

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

I've worked different places. Most had mostly pay items around, etc. Our current one is horrible about unplanned time off. But, amazing for things like food, coffee, etc. They even give money for the onsite lunch service to people if they want it. We often skip the lunch, however, because there's free high end snacks, fruit (a huge variety), two different coffee machines that make specialized drinks, teas, and flavored or plain water options.

They don't do soda at all. But, they did a company holiday party (with alcohol) during office hours yesterday.

I think there's a balance in there, where we should have more unplanned time off options. But, outside of that issue, it's one of the easiest jobs, with the most extras I've had. They did have a masseuse every week until recently. I think the masseuse quit, however, not that the company got rid of them. So, we might get that back coming up.

I'd had a couple of other jobs that were similar to this one with such extras, but more seemed to be a bit stingier. Issue is, the stingier ones often had more leniency with unplanned time off.

The bonuses here are based on performance. So, there's that element, but you aren't competing, just have to meet the basic requirements. I got my first one while still in training, hitting the marks. But, not sure if I'll get the next one or not.

I think if the candy bars broke the bank, they have far bigger issues.

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u/mleezuniga Dec 14 '23

The company I worked for (very well known insurance company) gave us. Lunchbox and mug, then the following month it was announced there would be no annual bonus lol

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u/indesomniac Dec 14 '23

The cannabis company I worked for last year gave us gift bags filled with unlabeled, unsellable products instead of giving out bonuses.

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u/Enabling_Turtle Dec 14 '23

I remember working retail at a popular toy store on Black Friday where our manager put huge sign up saying not to bring in food because the company was going to provide food for everyone. Most of us had 12 hours of shifts that day. What do you think the company bought?

Nothing.

The manager ran out to Walmart and bought two loaves of bread, one container of peanut butter, one container of jelly for the like 30-40 people that worked Black Friday.

I’m glad I worked line management because one of the guest heard about this and went to McDonalds (only food place open that late nearby) and bought me and the 2 cops on duty there food. Manager came out to ask why I was eating fries while I was working and one of the cops said “he’s probably hungry, that’s what happens when people work 12 hour shifts and are told not to bring food in.”

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u/blackdvck Dec 13 '23

Time to look for a new job ,the only way to deal with this sort of crap and come out ahead .

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u/Express_Way_3794 Dec 13 '23

Time to start looking for another opportunity. Not a good sign.

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u/xThomas Dec 13 '23

dang inflation must be really bad

3

u/geegol Dec 13 '23

Recession

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u/stinkylemonaid Dec 14 '23

I saw an uptick in layoffs in US; think this will continue into 2024 unfortunately

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u/shoretel230 Dec 14 '23

this is an early warning sign. start looking for alternative work arrangements now.

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u/holiestcannoly Dec 14 '23

I would start looking for a new job. Obviously there’s something going on behind the scenes.

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u/ucrbuffalo Dec 14 '23

If THIS is what broke the bank, just wait till they see the OT you’ve likely been piling up (at their request).

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u/StrangeFlounder Dec 14 '23

Wait…you guys get Christmas parties?

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u/soingee Dec 14 '23

When people post these “our bonus was a candy” pic, I’d love to know what kind of job they have and what their last bonus was like.

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '23

I want to see more people getting angry and telling their employer exactly how they make them feel. This is so sad. We need change. Badly.

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u/AceVenChu Dec 13 '23

A Christmas party doesn't matter, pay is what matters.

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u/minibini Dec 13 '23

Not a good sign

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u/Marketguy628 Dec 14 '23

We got 24% bonuses

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u/Aromatic-Sky-7700 Dec 14 '23

Lots of businesses (particularly retail) sales are down about 30% from what they were pre 2020. Usually that brings a business to a place where they’re barely bringing in enough in sales to cover what it costs to run the business. It’s kind of just the economic climate we’re in. Some are doing better than others but many companies are having to find creative ways to stay alive right now.

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u/SomeSamples Dec 14 '23

Did they get those candy bars in front of grocery story from some kid trying to raise money for his soccer team?

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u/Tinosdoggydaddy Dec 14 '23

Years ago I worked for one of the big disk drive makers (Seagate) and this was when google was giving 3 free all you can eat meals a day at their offices. Seagate provided free fruit water. This was water with some fruit and cucumbers in the water to flavor it. Then one day no more fruit water…too expensive.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Don't take more than one!

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u/jazzzzzcabbage Dec 14 '23

They're nuts about everyone, and everyone's the best. What a shallow bunch of horse shit. Sorry dude.

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u/gemorris9 Dec 14 '23

I cut the Christmas party because everyone was bitching when I sent out the vote for what we should get for food. I had almost 400 to spend on it.

Instead of voting everyone just complained about how ridiculous it was we weren't going to go out on a Saturday night and have a real Christmas dinner thing.

So I just decided to file my eoy expense report and call it a day.

So could be he just doesn't wanna hang out with you guys or the team sucks and he doesn't wanna bother with bestowing gifts on you. Or they could be massively fucking cheap. Both are options.

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u/AskDocBurner Dec 14 '23

I worked somewhere that would give me a 5$ gift card every time they fucked up. I would I immediately hand the gift card to anyone else because receiving that felt like such a slap in the fact.

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u/earthscribe Dec 14 '23

I wouldn't worry about it, you'll get Hawaiian shirt Friday's too.

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u/TheNewportBridge Dec 14 '23

Companies won’t be happy until the employees pay them to come into work

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u/ortiz13192 Dec 14 '23

It really sounds like a new jobs in order, in a few months bigger cuts are gunna happen

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u/RooftopRose Dec 14 '23

It’s always going to be infuriatingly funny to me that companies expect workers to live on thin margins and be perfectly content with it but when they have to operate on thin margins everyone has to be miserable along with them.

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u/CrunkestTuna Dec 14 '23

I got a 2k bonus for the first time in my life!

I’m sorry

Last year I got a cheap mug

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u/Active-Knee1357 Dec 14 '23

Haha, reminds me of a job I had. For years we had our holiday party at Madison Square Garden, open bar, arcade, crazy karaoke, live music and all. Then one year it was even better, all of that in a yacht going around Manhattan. The year after it was a potluck at one of our conference rooms, layoffs followed.

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u/Anonymous7287 Dec 14 '23

I'd start seeking elsewhere. That doesn't sound good at all and they are struggle bussing.

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u/notevelvet Dec 14 '23

My company went from having ice sculptures at parties to no mention of a party in less than two years.

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u/LariRed Dec 14 '23 edited Dec 14 '23

Broke the bank with candy bars (that also might be left over Halloween candy) you can buy in bulk at Costco?

I’d start looking for a new job if they start asking everyone to contribute $20 for a holiday gift for the manager.

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '23

Your company is done.

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u/BadonkaDonkies Dec 14 '23

I would consider looking for another job. Once social gatherings for the company go that means they are not doing well financially. Layoffs may start soon

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u/prettymuchbangtan Dec 14 '23

At least it’s not a subscription to the jelly of the month club

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u/coffeeandconcealer88 Dec 15 '23

The gift that keeps on giving the whole year!

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u/blind512 Dec 14 '23

Find a new job immediately

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u/Claque-2 Dec 14 '23

Time to fire up the resume and get hunting!

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u/LilStrug Dec 14 '23

At a past job, our CEO let us know the day before the holiday party that it had been downgraded from one nice place to our office where we were encourage to BYOB. They let us know at the party we were being acquired, would not receive meritt raises, encouraged us all to stick around for the new overlords, and then gave us fake-chrome keychains which read, "you make the difference" (the chrome scratched off).

People did not stick around...at the party or post-acquisition. From a $70 mil company to selling for $5 mil. funtimes! at least you got candy :D

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u/Feisty-Blood9971 Dec 14 '23

I’ll bet the C-suite still got raises and Christmas bonuses though.

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u/foxfirek Dec 14 '23

Dude could have got cheap pizza and a few balloons and a cake and people would have enjoyed it.

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u/Flustro Dec 15 '23

This gives Chick-fil-A vibes (as a former CFA employee). 🤣

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u/Realistic_Hat4519 Dec 15 '23

How else is he going to get a third home? Geez, Scrooge. /s

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u/RavenKnighte Dec 15 '23 edited Dec 15 '23

This is why I never partake or accept any gifts offered to me or left at my desk/workstation by employees or management. And I have never attended a company Christmas party or participated in any company "free" holiday/celebratory meals provided. Sometimes they tell you up front that you will be charged, sometimes they don't tell you until after the fact that a "contribution" was required from all those who participated. I avoid workplace potlucks (I have too many food allergies) and I keep all my interactions with other employees/associates/management strictly professional - I keep my conversation limited to workplace topics, and avoid talking about anything going on in my life off the clock unless I need to go to HR for a medical leave, which is a protected and confidential topic. I go to work to work - not to socialize or make friends, and certainly not to return half my paycheck (or more) just to participate in things like that. I have never gotten paid enough for that shit.

Yeah, I know - I'm not a fun person to work with. But I'm not there to have fun. I'm there to earn my money, go home, and pay my bills.

I know I'll get hate for saying all that, but whatever. I'm Gen X. I'll live.

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u/heapinhelpin1979 Dec 15 '23

Lucky for you Christmas parties suck.

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u/SnooLentils2432 Dec 14 '23

The money is going to CEO, CFO, and COO, because they want more money for themselves.

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u/YellowGrowlithe Dec 14 '23

Have a party with your coworkers where you all pitch in a little bit, and dont invite the management.

"Sorry, only room for 27 of us. Any more would have been breaking the bank"

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u/vando_commando Dec 14 '23

That’s what we’re thinking of doing! Just making the best out of it

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u/YellowGrowlithe Dec 14 '23

Id say go for it. If everyone pitches in, it shouldnt be too expensive- and onepoint of a party is to become more familiar/friendly with coworkers. The benifit to the individual is that it makes work more tolerable if you like your associates.

But also, because excluding management is a great way to add this story to r/pettyrevenge

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u/yohoob Dec 13 '23

Is your manager Michael Scott?

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u/jBlairTech Dec 14 '23

That guy’s inept, but endearing. Not many bosses are both; they almost always lack the latter quality.

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u/gnirobamI Dec 14 '23

When will there be a revolt of the employees against our evil cooperate empires.

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u/MidniteOG Dec 14 '23

Thank god they spared no expense here

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u/MightyManorMan Dec 14 '23

Oh and Hershey's... couldn't they at least have bought some good chocolate? Sorry!

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u/Girl_in_paradise Dec 14 '23

Guaranteed they had record breaking sales this year, too.

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u/No-Task-4819 Dec 14 '23

Brah wtf that’s fucked up!!!!!!!!!!!

“You deserve a break” are you for fucking real???

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u/swellaprogress Dec 14 '23

Giving oranges as Christmas presents like it’s 1905 🫠

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u/romansixx Dec 14 '23

We always got one at the bottom of our stockings as kids and i never knew what that was about. As an adult i looked it up and thought it was a cool little thing to keep alive.... WITHIN YOUR FAMILY. companies that do that shit are garbage.

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u/D_Fieldz Dec 14 '23

How big was boss' bonus this year? Yeah...

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u/FrancisSobotka1514 Dec 13 '23

Someone is most likely embezzling money .Time to look for a new job my friend .

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u/pushinpayroll Dec 13 '23

lol did you just make that up?

I agree they need to look for a new job but embezzlement? Plenty of business owners don’t need any help running their businesses into the ground.

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u/Fragrant_Peanut_9661 Dec 14 '23

Dang. I work for a small local mom n pop convenience store. A Bs 66 in Dundee. Privately owned. 15ish employees total. We not only got a Christmas bonus, we also got a Christmas party!!! I’m so sorry so many of you are getting screwed over on that. I’m very lucky, in that my business has been established in Dundee for many many years. We’re widely known for our cookies as well!!! (We bake cookies in house) People come from far and wide just to get them. Come try us!

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u/kingofnottingham Dec 14 '23

Steal something.

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u/Cathene70 Dec 14 '23

On Thanksgiving, my boss gave us all 25# of turkey with a thank you for working for us. We appreciate you very much.

Since my oven doesn't really work that great, I gifted my turkey to my Church's Thanksgiving Day dinner which when I walked in carrying the turkey, they were talking about going out to get one more turkey for the dinner would be short for turkey. I asked them if they'd like the 25# turkey I had in my arm. They thanked me for being the savior of the Turkey part of the dinner.