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?”

  • Vox
    link
    fedilink
    English
    172 years 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      7
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      I obviously don’t know the specifics of the situation, but DNR on its own doesn’t mean “stop providing medical care”. The stat tests were probably to ensure grandpa didn’t get to the point of needing resuscitation.

      Edit: And I don’t mean for this to be combative, it’s just that goals of care/end of life planning conversations are hard enough for the patient, family, and care team. It’s even worse when people think that DNR means “I’m giving up on my myself/mom/dad/grandparent/etc”. Resuscitation is a pretty traumatic experience, and the person may not want to go through that if the chance of them having a good quality of life afterwards is low. Everything else is still available to them if that’s what they want.

  • archomrade [he/him]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    22 years ago

    Remember bonus pay is withheld at 22 percent, so don’t eat all of it otherwise you’ll owe the IRS a quarter of a potato at tax time

    • Drusas
      link
      fedilink
      32 years ago

      At that price, the potato better be providing some extra services.

  • Arthur Besse
    link
    fedilink
    English
    20
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    this “story” is spam, actually.

    the dearth of people in this thread who can identify it as such is sad evidence of a lack of media literacy.

    edit: i can’t reply to @[email protected] because i deleted this post from lemmy.ml, but, i see they replied:

    It’s the Independent, not spam. Indy100 is part of the Independent.

    so, ok, I looked, and yeah, I see this “indy100” site is indeed part of a business called “The Independent” which carries the name of a former newspaper.

    But this story, like most of the content on indy100, appears to have no basis in reality. It is not “news”, it is dishonest garbage pretending to be factual for the purpose of selling the audience’s attention to advertisers. aka spam.

  • LousyCornMuffins
    link
    fedilink
    English
    362 years 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      52 years ago

      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.

      • LousyCornMuffins
        link
        fedilink
        English
        102 years ago

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

          • LousyCornMuffins
            link
            fedilink
            English
            32 years ago

            They’re on Lemmy they’re a friggin $20 potato. They’ve even got sour creme instead of sour cream they’re so fancy.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      92 years 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.

  • ThePowerOfGeek
    link
    fedilink
    English
    92 years ago

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

  • Marxism-Fennekinism
    link
    fedilink
    English
    21
    edit-2
    2 years ago

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

  • stinerman
    link
    fedilink
    English
    22 years ago

    This is terrible, but the company doesn’t need to tax them on this any more than your company taxes you when they bring in pizza for everyone. They’re doing it because…they’re dumb.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    68
    edit-2
    2 years 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      102 years 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.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        32 years ago

        I believe they have to be doing something shady, there is no way in hell that would cost$15 per person. Even a nice potato bar is $11 per person according to Google. I’m not an expert in business finance but I know bulk means less cost.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      52 years ago

      The last part makes it sound like the potato bonus is not taxable. I guess it depends on how you interpret employer “convenience” here.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        32 years ago

        If it’s a potato feast as lunch, it’s not taxable and if they still deduct it, it’s wage theft.

        So, get your Christmas bonus by suing your employer, then get the actual bonus by leaving and getting a less toxic employer. Don’t forget to roast them harder than the potato on Glassdoor as you’re leaving.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      232 years 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      222 years ago

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

      (there’s always money in the potato bar)

  • PatFusty
    link
    fedilink
    English
    32 years ago

    I honestly dont care. Hospital staff make a ton of money as is off the backs of the people they rip off.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      10
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      Nurses and other hospital staff get paid way less than they should, given the hours they work and the stuff they have to deal with.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      52 years ago

      Oh the staff doesn’t see any of that money. Honestly, for what they have to put up with a lot of nurses are paid like shit.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      222 years ago

      They really don’t… Hospitals make a ton of money. Travel nurses make a ton of money, but full time workers are usually shafted.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      122 years ago

      Nope. The only people who are ripping anyone off are the same shitty bosses who think the potato is just compensation.

      As in any industry, the frontline workers are just doing their best. It’s the shitty administration of leeches that are jacking up healthcare prices.

  • CashewNut 🏴󠁢󠁥󠁧󠁿
    link
    fedilink
    English
    1352 years 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?

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      112 years ago

      It has multiple times, housing bubble, dot com bubble, soon the used car bubble, then it’ll be another housing bubble with apartments etc… Capitalism has such a stranglehold on the world that it’s going to take a very long time for it to change enough to be called something else that actually works

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      482 years ago

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

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        252 years 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      12 years ago

      More than likely the hospital is a non profit, so the profits at all costs doesn’t really work.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        12 years ago

        “Non-profit” doesn’t mean it doesn’t make money and doesn’t prevent hospital administration from taking massive pay bumps.

    • Chainweasel
      link
      fedilink
      English
      222 years 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.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        72 years ago

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

        • Chainweasel
          link
          fedilink
          English
          52 years 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.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            12 years ago

            the bread is already drying up in america, people have died because they couldn’t get heating in texas winter

      • metaStatic
        link
        fedilink
        22 years ago

        same people who are just starting to see how democracy works too

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      32 years ago

      We could always embrace capitalism by getting rid of corporations, like as a concept. They’re a fundamentally anti-capitalist idea.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    332 years ago

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