this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
783 points (98.6% liked)

Not The Onion

12306 readers
1227 users here now

Welcome

We're not The Onion! Not affiliated with them in any way! Not operated by them in any way! All the news here is real!

The Rules

Posts must be:

  1. Links to news stories from...
  2. ...credible sources, with...
  3. ...their original headlines, that...
  4. ...would make people who see the headline think, “That has got to be a story from The Onion, America’s Finest News Source.”

Comments must abide by the server rules for Lemmy.world and generally abstain from trollish, bigoted, or otherwise disruptive behavior that makes this community less fun for everyone.

And that’s basically it!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9823286

‘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?”

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] DrPop@lemmy.ml 68 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (15 children)

Here is a little something from the IRS pub 525 about bonuses.

Bonuses and awards. Bonuses or awards you receive for outstanding work are included in your income and should be shown on your Form W-2. These include prizes such as vacation trips for meeting sales goals. If the prize or award you receive is goods or services, you must include the FMV of the goods or services in your income. However, if your employer merely promises to pay you a bonus or award at some future time, it isn’t taxable until you receive it or it’s made available to you.

So do they really believe the fair market value of a potato is $12? The IRS doesn't go by retail price.

The FMV for a pound of russet potatoes is $2.50 soo yeah no they are doing too much and should be reported.

Meals and lodging

You don't include in your income the value of meals and lodging provided to you and your family by your employer at no charge if the following conditions are met.

The meals are: Furnished on the business premises of your employer, and Furnished for the convenience of your employer.

[–] EatYouWell@lemmy.world 21 points 11 months ago (9 children)

The cost of food is not the only factor that determines it's value. It's a service being provided, not an object.

It's still a bullshit bonus and everyone who thought it was a good idea should kill themselves, but they didn't just get a raw potato.

[–] DrPop@lemmy.ml 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I see your point, but labor cost for a single baked potato that was probably cooked at the same time as the rest of them would still be minimal.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (3 children)

A baked potato was $25 at the strip club I used to frequent, but for that you got two strippers bringing it to you while playing a rather amusing game of hot potato.

[–] DrPop@lemmy.ml 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

That SMCF, and yes that honestly sounds worth it to me.

[–] elephantium@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

SMCF

What does this stand for?

[–] DrPop@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] elephantium@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

SMH, I didn't connect it to the GP's username 🤦‍♂️

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

It was the cheap part of those nights.

The booze, cocaine and divorces added up though.

[–] RickMoreanus@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

That sounds worth every cent.

[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 2 points 10 months ago

And here I thought baked potatoes were supposed to be savoury.

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (12 replies)