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?”
I think American will now start tipping hospital staffs.
Don’t give them ideas.
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.
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.
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.
The best part is that you don’t dare question what you do get, or you receive the “well, at least it’s something”. Yeah, I guess so, but if the intent is to make the employee feel valued it’s not working very well. I do have to say that a baked potato is still better than some things I’ve seen posted before.
Perhaps a sign that the hospital admin needs a potato canon to the face, in their next group Minecraft session.
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 @kescusay@lemmy.world 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.
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?
We could always embrace capitalism by getting rid of corporations, like as a concept. They’re a fundamentally anti-capitalist idea.
I honestly dont care. Hospital staff make a ton of money as is off the backs of the people they rip off.
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.
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.
