iStockphoto / bhofack2
Society officially has a new ‘lowest bar’ for holiday bonuses after a woman on X claimed to receive a ‘hospital potato’ as her Christmas bonus and went on to say that her company would be taxing her and other employees for the potatoes.
‘Hospital potato’ isn’t a euphemism. The company straight-up gave her a potato for her Christmas bonus and then told her she’s getting taxed on it.
Amanda B’s story has gone crazy viral. It started a few days ago when she announced on X what had happened. She wrote “My work is doing a potato bar as our Christmas bonus. I’m literally getting a hospital potato as a bonus. They also said it has a $15 value so it will be taxed on our next check. Does anyone need an assistant so I can just quit right now?”
My work is doing a potato bar as our Christmas bonus. I’m literally getting a hospital potato as a bonus. They also said it has a $15 value so it will be taxed on our next check. Does anyone need an assistant so I can just quit right now?
— Amanda B (@amandajpanda) December 12, 2023
Despite being gifted and taxed on a $15 ‘hospital potato’ she went on to explain how she believes this is somehow an improvement over last year’s Christmas bonus that was juts a Webex seminar with leadership.
X / Amanda B
And here it is, the taxed potato Christmas bonus:
YOU ATTENTION PLEASE! The moment you’ve all been waiting for, my $15 taxed potato. pic.twitter.com/rVAmaDFD6N
— Amanda B (@amandajpanda) December 13, 2023
If there are any managers or administrators out there reading this who aren’t sure what to do for Christmas bonuses this year but need to save cost, listen up. Do nothing. That is infinitely better than rolling out a ‘potato bar’ where everyone gets served mediocre potatoes and then gets taxed on them.
If the company has had a tough quarter or year and money is tight, communicate that. Don’t roll out a dang potato bar and expect everyone to put on a smile for their taxable $15 baked potato Christmas bonus. Otherwise you’re going to wind up on the Internet with millions of people making fun of you and your company will become the new poster child for corporate greed.
Employees deserve a lot more respect than an alleged $15 potato even if that respect means receiving nothing. Also, looking at that picture there’s no way that potato looks like it’s worth $15. And how can they be charging fifteen bucks for a loaded baked potato when half of the steakhouses in America are giving them away for free? The math is not adding up.