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The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
221–230 of 348 posts
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#222Earlier quoted context omitted.
At a former place I worked (a university), there was no annual cost-of-living increase to your salary. Instead, any increases were performance based. If you scored the _highest_ level on your performance review, the level that required approval from several levels of HR to ensure that not too many people got it... you might get a 1.25% salary increase. If you scored "satisfactory" you might get a 0.75% increase. Even…
I remember a study that noted that random awards not given to everyone were seen to have more morale boosts than rewards that people thought were small that were given to be everyone. But yeah it amazes me people can't figure out the tiny reward is wonky.
I find "merit"/"performance" based raises for like 2 or 3% to be insulting.
You think I wasn't already doing my best, but what's going to motivate me to really give you my best is the promise of a 2% raise, if I successfully navigate the insane beurocracy to fill out my paperwork the right way to game the system and have my manager cooperate?
You don't just think I take no pride in my work and don't care about the project/mission itself, you also think I'm cheap/desperate.
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#223Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most of the developers at my company (www.facetdev.com) are contract, but for the few full-timers we still have, we used to ask the team to work long hours out of the goodness of their hearts if a project needed it. That seemed wrong, so I implemented a bonus plan where you get paid 60% of everything you bill over your weekly goals and made working extra hours optional. I love writing those bonus checks!
Wait, so you pay overtime, except you pay 40% less? I must be misunderstanding. Also please tell me you aren't proud of paying for overtime and I'm misunderstanding that too. That should be the minimum expectation.
I understand that you get 60% of what's billed to your client, which probably is several times your salary rate per hour, and not 60% of your regular rate per hour. Maybe?
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#224The worst morale boosting gesture I've ever experienced was the CEO telling an all-staff meeting that anyone that wasn't happy to work there could get $2000 for quitting on the spot.
How many people took it? I'd probably take it on the spot. I mean, if morale is that bad already it's like you're getting a bonus for leaving. Might as well!
I don't think anyone did - it was ambiguous whether it would invalidate the notice period (4 weeks), which would have been a bit more than $2000. No-one was prepared to risk it.
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#225Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#226Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#227Earlier quoted context omitted.
Man, when my company got shut down in the dot com days, after the 10am all hands, I said screw it and took my entire team out for drinks until about 4, out of my own pocket. As far as I'm concerned, that's the way you do it if you're going down with the ship. Drink with the crew, pay for them, and tell stories and try to make plans as you slip into the waters. 19 years later, I'm still friends with all but one who di…
How can a hug be so embarrassing that it needs to be forgiven? It's a euphemism I'm missing, isn't it.
She and I were somewhat standoffish people back then, not really huggy types. Meanwhile, I come into the office, 3 sheets to the wind, see her, and said something like "S., I am going to miss working with you so much!" at a fairly loud volume, and I'm a good half foot taller than her.
It's something I still have to buy her a beer for every couple of years or so.
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#228Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wait, so you pay overtime, except you pay 40% less? I must be misunderstanding. Also please tell me you aren't proud of paying for overtime and I'm misunderstanding that too. That should be the minimum expectation.
Not the original poster, but any kind of overtime is rare for salaried work? At least in the US. I'd take 60% per hour for overtime in a heartbeat as long as it was optional, since I've always ended up doing that kind of work for client/manager goodwill (or the pleasure of not being fired).
Some states (Washington, IIRC?) require overtime hours be tracked even for salaried positions, and those hours should be 1.5x regular rate.
(This is off the top of my head based on an internship 6 years ago)
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#229I remember one young aspiring manager (now director at Google) destroying a new talented employee by completely disregarding their work (which was the main component of their brand new successful system and helped said manager to a promotion), then later requesting that very same employee to smile more and be as energetic/optimistic as when they first walked into the office. Beatings will continue until morale improves...
Re: The worst morale-boosting gesture I've experienced
#230Hard to beat this one:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-5871773...