For some reason, employers seem to have this idea that the way to reward employees is not with upward mobility, better benefits, or higher pay, but instead with meaningless incentives employees don’t actually want.
Here are 34 ridiculous incentives employers have offered instead of higher wages.
1.
This company gave their employee an extra 10-minute break as a reward for work well done…but the 10 minutes had to be asked for a day in advance and could not be added to existing breaks.
2.
This workplace gave employees a single mint for generating an extra $6 million in sales.
3.
This company gave good employees “work bux” (with cringey bitmojis on them, no less) that could be used to redeem top ramen and granola bars.
4.
And this job gave out Monopoly money that could be used at the company’s “store” of random items…which were “prohibitively expensive” according to the original poster: “There’s close to 400 Bux in the picture, and I couldn’t afford anything but free snacks,” they wrote.
5.
This boss gave their employee a singular banana to celebrate their first year at the company.
6.
Here’s the huge reward (sarcasm) that ER workers got for their worst month since COVID times. Because hot dogs are a great reward for literally saving lives every day.
7.
Instead of giving out raises, this employer gave out cups filled with 100 Grand Bars then put this tongue-in-cheek note on it.
8.
This employer gave employees a literal rock as an appreciation gift.
9.
I thought I couldn’t top the last one, but I’m pretty sure this is the worst employee appreciation gift of all time.
10.
This boss promised drumsticks for Employee Appreciation Day and brought in…these.
11.
And this employer showed how much they appreciated their employees with an orange (that I’m pretty sure might actually be a clementine) and a bad pun.
12.
This massive hospital also gave out gifts for longterm service. Don’t worry, you only have to work there for THIRTY YEARS to qualify for a $100 bonus!
13.
This employee got a coupon for being a loyal employee who never missed a day of work for five years.
14.
This employer gave out a stuffed animal to adults as an incentive.
15.
This is the fancy “free lunch” workers at a college dorm were provided with for working a 12-hour shift.
16.
This is the nice free lunch workers got at another job for a 12-hour shift.
17.
This workplace offered a special reward of a WHOLE FIVE DOLLARS (!!!!) for a month of perfect work!
18.
These employees got everything they’d ever wanted from their employers — a pizza party and a nice email!
19.
These employees also didn’t get raises, but look how much pizza they each got!
20.
Don’t worry — this workplace also gave out a pizza cutter, so you can cut your tiny pizza into even smaller pieces!
21.
This workplace didn’t give out pizza as a bonus, but instead something that was somehow worse.
22.
This workplace also threw a pizza party, but made employees pay for it.
23.
And this employer made people pay just to attend the company holiday party.
24.
This employee found FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS in missing funds and was rewarded with…a letter.
25.
And this employee got a $15 gift card for helping generate $27 billion in profit.
26.
This workplace offered some truly awesome prizes for good work! (Sarcasm again.)
27.
Though I gotta say, these prizes for Employee Appreciation Day — which include “a head of lettuce” — are even worse.
28.
This company gave out free beanies instead of raises.
29.
This employer had a candy drawer to reward hard workers, and then put only candy an 80-year-old would enjoy inside.
30.
Instead of getting raises to, y’know, afford to buy food, NHS workers apparently got advice on how to access a food bank.
31.
This employer gave out candy for a special occasion…and then threatened employees who might dare to take more than a single fun-size piece. Because nothing says employee appreciation like increased surveillance!
32.
This person got a voucher for £2.50 for a job well done.
33.
This workplace gave their employee a prepaid AMEX card that didn’t even work to celebrate five years at the company.
34.
And finally, this employee got a silver coin for working through the pandemic.
