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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?”

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[-] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 99 points 6 months ago

Capitalism is starting to feel like a massive piss-take. You've got corps laughing all the way to the bank with billions in profits feeding their employees with fucking potatoes.

Surely something has to give?

[-] xkforce@lemmy.world 37 points 6 months ago

Tbh I am kind of surprised no one has literally eaten some of the rich by now for nourishment.

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago

I expect nothing will happen right through the crops failing, famines, mass migrations, wet bulb heat waves, ecological collapse... Nothing good anyway... Most likely fascist police state; probably sooner than later.

[-] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

It'll happen gradually enough that people won't connect the dots.

[-] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 16 points 6 months ago

The divide will keep growing until people start to get hungry.
We've already proven time and time again that the worst they're going to get out of us for anything they do is harsh words and disapproval. And since they know the worst we can do is complain they're going to keep doing it.
There won't be any legislation or policy charges to help us.
When we can't eat and can't feed our children we'll finally have to motivation to make the changes ourselves.

[-] EatYouWell@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Yup, they know the population is placated by social media, but their mistake is thinking that makes them immune from the guillotine.

[-] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

It does though, as long as we have our bread and circuses they're safe, and nothing will change until one or both dry up.

[-] DrPop@lemmy.ml 51 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

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 12 points 6 months ago

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 4 points 6 months ago

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.

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[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

It's one potato, Michael, what could it cost? Ten dollars?

(there's always money in the potato bar)

[-] eclectic_electron@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 months ago

It's a "potato bar" not just a potatoes to presumably that price is intended to include all the bacon, cheese, etc.

Really though it's probably just whatever the hotel cafeteria charges for potato because that's a lot easier than coming up with a new price and then justifying it in case of an audit.

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[-] Sanctus@lemmy.world 38 points 6 months ago

At one point does it become acceptable to return "gifts" like these at high velocities?

[-] Duranie@literature.cafe 8 points 6 months ago

I like your thinking.

[-] TheBlue22@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 6 months ago

With a potato cannon?

[-] 5200@lemmy.world 33 points 6 months ago

I would definately be asking for the underlying numbers for that 15 dollar. If you're charging me for it you better open the books on the cost you claim.

I love it.

"Please provide a itemized expense report. Thank you."

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 24 points 6 months ago

I remember the week after I saved a client forty five large in taxes, my boss gave me a ten dollar gift card to Walmart. I don't have many kind things to say about that boss.

[-] DrPop@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 months ago

Technically gift cards are taxable but if it's not reported who is gonna know.

I feel bad because my company didn't do shit for my team last year. So I gave my entire team of twenty, $20 gift cards out of my own pocket. $500 total.

It was met with a "Happy holidays" but I wonder if people think I'm a bad boss too.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

He was the owner of the company, so he was totally a bad boss. But you're the middle potato. Different situation.

[-] dan@upvote.au 4 points 6 months ago

you're the middle potato

Is the middle potato also a $15 potato?

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[-] beyondthegrave@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

I saved a multi-million $ project from going down the toilet and jeopardizing a whole bunch of client contracts. I was rewarded with a demotion when the company was acquired months later.

[-] xkforce@lemmy.world 20 points 6 months ago

The most surprising thing about this is this wasnt in the US. It seems like such an american capitalist douchebag thing to do.

[-] ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works 11 points 6 months ago

Where did it happen? The money is in dollars so I assumed it was the USA, but in the USA employees generally don't have to pay taxes on the value of the meals employers provide.

[-] Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 6 months ago

It was in the US, not sure why they claim it wasn't.

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[-] RedditReject@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

I think it was in Texas from what I heard from the rumor mill. The article is in the guardian which is UK based so they put the exchange rate in for the $15 in £ so the UK folks had a frame of reference

[-] Sprokes@jlai.lu 19 points 6 months ago

I think American will now start tipping hospital staffs.

[-] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 19 points 6 months ago

Don't give them ideas.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

You didn't tip hospital staff? You monster.

[-] HiddenLayer5@lemmy.ml 12 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Perhaps a sign that the hospital admin needs a potato canon to the face, in their next group Minecraft session.

[-] Rhaedas@kbin.social 10 points 6 months ago

The best part is that you don't dare question what you do get, or you receive the "well, at least it's something". Yeah, I guess so, but if the intent is to make the employee feel valued it's not working very well. I do have to say that a baked potato is still better than some things I've seen posted before.

[-] notsorryforpartying@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Imo a bad reward like this is worse than nothing at all. Like they think I'm a moron or peasant who is dumb enough to appreciate it, insulting my intelligence

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[-] voxthefox@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

Very much a theme this year. My company normally gives equity (that cashes out over 3 years ofc) every end of year for the past 4-5 years. This year however, no equity allotments announced, instead we get a floor pizza party with ice cream. People are less than enthused.

[-] ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago
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[-] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

Who the fuck runs that hospital? Ebineezer Scrooge pre-ghost-visitation?

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[-] Jaysyn@kbin.social 5 points 6 months ago

There is a Russia joke in there somewhere.

[-] bighatchester@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

And I thought my $160 Christmas bonus was disappointing.....

[-] june@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Better than my Christmas severance.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

A fifteen dollar potato has to be a fairly nice potato though.

[-] Breezy@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I once got my old boss a potato for his birthday, it was a 25 dollar gold coated potato though. I dont see the gold one anymore. https://potatoparcel.com/

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this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
560 points (99.6% liked)

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