We’ve been told time and time again that if we work hard , we’ll get greater rewards. And while that’s often the case, there are times when an employer’s greediness gets the better of them.
Unfortunately for those among us who happen on the receiving end of a greedy boss, that usually means more work for less pay. To the point where it’s almost criminal .
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A Reddit user shared their experience with a boss who valued a “pat on the back” over actual money.
In the subreddit r/antiwork, user Beebjank captioned their post, ” Asked my boss for a bonus after working overtime during one on the top 5 biggest events in my state. “
It was a story in two pictures.
In the first image, a screenshot of the email OP was sent can be seen. It says:
“Dear all, To everyone that worked [blank] this year including those that worked extra shifts to help with coverage. Thank you all very much.”
“Collectively you got windburned, rained on, got cold, got sore feet, worked long hours…”
“…missed sleep and had your personal vehicle struck by a gator [small vehicle]. Everyone’s efforts were, and are, greatly appreciated. We had a successful [blank] and gallery opening because of these efforts. Thank you again.”
In the second picture, OP asks if this thanks will translate into a bonus.
In response to the question, the boss says, “A pat on the back is worth more than any monetary increase.”
I’m gonna tell you right now, that’s so untrue.
The comment section under this post had a field day with this story.
People couldn’t get over the absurdity of this boss’s logic. The idea that saying thanks for hard work is better than paying accordingly is utterly ridiculous.
Commenters were pretty quick to point out how that wouldn’t make sense the other way around.
“Really? A pat on the back? Next time he needs extra help, tell him, ‘Words of encouragement to stay tough and battle thru it are all you need from me,’ and then leave…” one commenter wrote.
Pretty much everyone agreed that the money would’ve been better, anyway.
One user wrote, “Tell them they can keep all the pats then and you’ll take the less valuable money.”
Another added, “I’m genuinely surprised that the boss didn’t say that he’d already given them a bonus with all the overtime hours they worked.”
It also begs the question of whether or not OP at least got overtime pay.
“One of the ways American workers are being ripped off is working more overtime and usually being reimbursed at $0/hour,” a Reddit user commented.
This kind of logic makes you wonder why people should work so hard in the first place.
A commenter wrote, “That’s crazy. Start doing bare minimum. When/if called out, pat them on the back, ‘a pat in the back is worth more than any work I can accomplish.’
Especially since… a pat on the back isn’t going to pay the bills.
As many commenters mentioned, you can’t eat a pat on the back. You can’t send it to your landlord, either. This kind of attitude toward workers just reeks of exploitation.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
