An employee has sparked outrage online after sharing what their employer gave them as a so-called recognition reward.
The worker, Reddit user u/Targetpractice1314, posted a photo of the apparent token of appreciation to the subreddit r/mildly infuriating: a mini “PayDay” candy bar left at their workstation. Adding insult to injury, the treat wasn’t even full-sized.
“Work at a warehouse and came into work this morning with these at all of our workstations. Cheap a** multibillion dollar company didn’t even get us a full sized candy bar,” the worker wrote. The post quickly struck a nerve, racking up more than 33,000 upvotes.
The image shows a small PayDay peanut caramel bar attached to a printed note that reads, “All your dedication deserves an EXTRA PAYDAY”—a message made even more galling by a noticeable grammatical error.
Reddit users were quick to weigh in, with many criticizing both the gesture itself and the tone behind it.
“AND it’s not even grammatically correct. Yikes,” one user commented.
“The dollar signs are for the owners and upper management, you and your co-workers get the pint sized candy bar,” added another.
“Nothing puts you better in your place than some cheap sugar and palm oil,” shared u/haubenmeise.
Others felt the gift crossed the line from thoughtless to outright insulting.
“It’s like they’re literally mocking you. We pay you peanuts and rub your nose in it—and theres nothing you can do about it,” wrote one commenter.
“Can you please send it back and say it was in poor taste. And update when you have found a new job,” suggested another.
Some users argued that the problem wasn’t malice, but incompetence.
“To suggest they’re mocking you suggests they have some degree of emotional intelligence. They’re probably just clueless tools who think they’re the best managers ever!” one viewer said.
“There’s always some dumba** in upper management who didn’t learn the basics of grammar making more than you I swear,” added another.
The post also prompted people to share their own disappointing experiences with workplace “appreciation.”
“My dad’s job gave him a piece of paper. It was some bulls*** like ‘Congratulations, you’ve been here for __ years. We appreciate you.’ He’s been their MVP for years. When are employers gonna realize that s*** like that is worse than nothing at all,” one user wrote.
“I once got a congratulatory plaque for being with my company for five years a week after they told me they were letting me go at the end of the month. That was a fun Christmas present,” shared u/amm5061.
As the comments kept rolling in, many zeroed in on the sheer cheapness of the gesture.
“They couldn’t even spring for a full size,” one user noted.
“That is honestly so insulting,” said another.
“This is incredibly tone deaf,” added a final critic.
Newsweek reached out to u/Targetpractice1314, for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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