this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
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‘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?”

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[–] lgmjon64@lemmy.world 62 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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...

[–] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 53 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Isn't that freaking wage theft?!?

[–] don@lemm.ee 31 points 9 months ago
[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 46 points 9 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Canadian too. I was in housekeeping, In the middle of the pandemic the hospital decided to cut out our holiday party completely. The doctors, surgeons and hospital board still got their party, fully funded, but not us cleaners who were on the front lines.

After cutting our party, they hand us an envelope, inside is a letter with donation requests for the hospital. They'll slap you in the face and ask you for money in the same breath.

[–] lemmylommy@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

A 5% CEO appreciation fee has been automatically deducted from your paycheck. Would you like to add a tip?

[ ] 10%

[ ] 25%

[ ] 40%

[–] Thassodar@lemm.ee 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Shit give me 5% of the CEO pay as a bonus and I'm straight lol

[–] just_change_it@lemmy.world 17 points 9 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.

[–] Cuberoot@lemmynsfw.com 29 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I can get that potato at Wendy's for less than the tax on $15.

[–] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago

And it will be bigger and likely taste better than this fuckin thing.

[–] Neato@kbin.social 7 points 9 months ago

Yeah. This sounds like some creative financial bullshit.

[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 27 points 9 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.

[–] DharmaCurious@startrek.website 26 points 9 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 24 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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 14 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 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.

[–] RickRussell_CA@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

Is hospital in Latvia?

[–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

Hey, it could be worse... My company got me nothing! Ten years in a row!

[–] draughtcyclist@programming.dev 53 points 9 months ago

The potato is actually worse. They're paying far more than the value of the potato in taxes, as it's considered a gift.

I'd rather have nothing than pay some else's taxes for a gift I didn't want that is way over-valued.

[–] AFaithfulNihilist@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago

But did you have to pay taxes on your nothing?

I would gladly accept nothing over this any day of the week.

[–] stevehobbes@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

And you’re self-employed?

[–] LUHG_HANI@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

Yeh, I got a tax bill though. So that's nice I guess.

Whoever in the UK thought it would be a good idea to do the income tax payment over Xmas and January needs a slap in the face.

[–] Chetzemoka@startrek.website 7 points 9 months ago

My hospital bought us pizza. Yesterday. On my day off.

[–] FMT99@lemmy.world 6 points 9 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 6 points 9 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.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 5 points 9 months ago

What a half baked idea.