‘Tis the season to celebrate our loved ones, and also for employers to show how much they care.

Whether by throwing a Christmas bash or handing out extra cash, businesses around the world are broadly expected to offer their dedicated staff a festive token of their appreciation.

And who deserves more recognition than the workers who keep our healthcare systems afloat?

Yet, the senior management team at one hospital apparently decided that rather than boost their staff’s pay or treat them to a slap-up meal, they would provide them with…

Potatoes.

The questionable move was broadcast to social media by an X/Twitter user who calls herself Amanda B.

She explained dejectedly: “My work is doing a potato bar as our Christmas bonus. I’m literally getting a hospital potato as a bonus.”

She then added: “They also said it has a $15 (£11.85) value so it will be taxed on our next check. Does anyone need an assistant so I can just quit right now?”

  • lgmjon64@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    My hospital once have us all savemart gift cards and the value was reflected in our paychecks. My gift card was empty when I went to use it…

  • TheAlbatross
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    11 months ago

    I know someone who works at a very successful hospital and their holiday “party” was about ten boxes of pizza and no time to eat it. The manager kept even ducking in and out of the meeting room turned party room to ask people to do more work.

    This is during a fiasco where some staff have found out that they’re paying new hires more than people who have been there for five years!

    The American Healthcare system is so utterly fucked up.

    • just_change_it@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      This is during a fiasco where some staff have found out that they’re paying new hires more than people who have been there for five years!

      this is true at almost every company and every role. New hires get paid more than long timers overwhelmingly. Staying put is a pay cut every year from inflation.

  • enkers@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    This $15 potato will likely be taxed at 22% federally, so those taxes alone will be $3.30, which is probably more than the actual material cost of the potato.

  • Dharma Curious@startrek.website
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    11 months ago

    At my last job, each Thanksgiving they’d give everyone a turkey sandwich from some catering company. It came with a little ketchup cup sized thing of potato salad,babs a pickle. you could opt for a veggie alternative. They would charge you 20 dollars for this on your next check.

    The highest paid employee made 8.75.

    I opted out.

  • Taco2112@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    I’m so happy I don’t work in healthcare anymore, our bonus used to be a a frozen turkey. My bonus this year was a flat $1,000 after the tax was taken out.

    • Venetas@discuss.tchncs.de
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      11 months ago

      Did the same thing and never looked back. Getting what my mother got as a nurse after 30 years in less than 4 years in IT is insane.

  • FMT99@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Potatoes are my #1 favorite food by a large margin but this would depress the hell out of me too. And then to claim a $15 value, Jesus Christ.

  • set_secret@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Obviously this is pretty bad, but anything coming via Shitter (X) at this point should be ignored.

    everytime i see screenshots posted here it feels like we’re all feeding trolls, and we should stop.