Can you imagine? Employees were upset because management decided that it was better to take everyone's bonus away, give 1 lucky person $100K and 1,300 a smaller bonus.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/0...y-angering-some.html

A backlash from employees prompted United Airlines to shelve a quarterly bonus lottery plan that made it more difficult for staff to earn rewards.

"Our intention was to introduce a better, more exciting program, but we misjudged how these changes would be received by many of you," United's president, Scott Kirby, said in a note to employees.

United had been giving employees bonuses each quarter when they met certain company performance metrics. But they changed it for a new lottery program in which qualifying employees could enter to win prizes. For example, a single employee could win $100,000, while other prizes included vacations and cash rewards, according to the Chicago Business Journal, citing a company memo.

The change to the bonus program comes as United and other airlines are facing higher fuel and other costs but are also adding service.

Now United is "pressing the pause button" on the program as it reviews employee feedback, Kirby said.

"adding service?"

what service are they adding? There is less service every time I fly. This was a seriously stupid idea though, but so totally typical of modern management.

It's been my experience in these types of promotions and rewards, that the system is heavily rigged to give the 'right' person the prize. So yeah, I'd be a little ticked off too.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
"adding service?"

what service are they adding? There is less service every time I fly. This was a seriously stupid idea though, but so totally typical of modern management.

I smiled at the article, as I am teaching an upper division mgmt acct class this quarter, this will be the current event to start out next Wednesday's class.

What? No Jelly of the Month club?

Executives suck.

Take away your bonus for a chance to win a much larger one. That sounds real “exciting” to me.

Under the proposed plan, employees might be less motivated to do good work, knowing that their bonus isn't cash, it's a chance to win a bonus, which they probably won't win.

You can bet your bottom dollar that the person or persons who came up with this brilliant idea have gotten and will get their full bonuses.

Here's an idea, forgo any bonuses for those that hold the title of VP or higher and create the pool. See if that gets approved.

how much you wanna bet that Kirby has never worked as a pilot, baggage handler or FA

he probably has an MBA which is the death-knell of most businesses

quote:

Originally posted by Echtermetzger:
What? No Jelly of the Month club?

That's the gift that keeps on giving the whole year!

It boggles my mind that Management can't see these things coming.

Hard as it is for me to realize and accept, corporations really are run by idiots.

There was a time when airline execs, and I'm sure this applies to other industries as well, came up through the ranks at that particular company. They understood the culture and what it meant to be a front line employee. Now, the top offices are filled with lame brained MBAs whose only concern is the stock holders and meeting their data driven performance metrics. People are just cogs in the wheel, a necessary evil to keep the machine running.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
"adding service?"

what service are they adding? There is less service every time I fly. This was a seriously stupid idea though, but so totally typical of modern management.

It's United. They're probably offering to break everyone's guitars

No one likes to have what he has earned given to someone who hasn't earned it. No one. Likes it.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
It boggles my mind that Management can't see these things coming.

Board rooms are echo chambers.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
"adding service?"

what service are they adding? There is less service every time I fly. This was a seriously stupid idea though, but so totally typical of modern management.

Well free dental services for one. Remember that cooky Asian doctor who got his teeth extracted for free!

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
It boggles my mind that Management can't see these things coming.

Hard as it is for me to realize and accept, corporations really are run by idiots.

Probably taken as advice from consultants that this is what they should do.

Or is management that out of touch with reality that they had no idea this could happen?

Probably both.

What a stupid idea!

Hell they ought to do it and televise it for the rest of us. I am sure someone like Drew Carey could help out. Tight shots on those that did not win cash and prizes would be interesting. Taking it a step further they could just draw straws for who would lose their job in a downsizing.

quote:

Originally posted by Puckpilot78:
There was a time when airline execs, and I'm sure this applies to other industries as well, came up through the ranks at that particular company. They understood the culture and what it meant to be a front line employee. Now, the top offices are filled with lame brained MBAs whose only concern is the stock holders and meeting their data driven performance metrics. People are just cogs in the wheel, a necessary evil to keep the machine running.

+1

Definitely the case at United. My former boss was a C-level exec at United before he came to my company. He had no history in the airline business; United was just a stepping stone on his climb to bigger and better things. He was only at United for 2 or 3 years before leaving and coming to my company. Again, he had no experience in our industry, and his time here was equally short (2 years) before he moved on to an even bigger paycheck.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:
Definitely the case at United. My former boss was a C-level exec at United before he came to my company. He had no history in the airline business; United was just a stepping stone on his climb to bigger and better things. He was only at United for 2 or 3 years before leaving and coming to my company. Again, he had no experience in our industry, and his time here was equally short (2 years) before he moved on to an even bigger paycheck.

Did he fuck it up in those 2 years he was there?

I'll guess: he raised numbers/metrics of some sort while morale went to shit. Good people quit/retired.