The Letter to the Employee: “Congratulations, the Production Bonus Is Zero”
The text is the result of an error and was not supposed to leave. But it gave anger and bitterness in the mouth of the worker
A supermarket employee received a letter from the employer. Inside it said: “Congratulations, here is the production bonus. Zero”. It happened in Rome but the affair has become a case everywhere.
The communication, reported by the Roman editorial office of Corriere della Sera, begins as follows:
“Concerning the professionalism shown in carrying out the tasks assigned to her (…) the company intends to award her a zero euro bonus”.
The 38-year-old worker said:
“I felt humiliated when I read it. ‘Congratulations, you are worth zero euros’, I thought. After all the sacrifices made, I am treated like the victim of a joke. Except that I am a person and I work hard. That’s why I want to talk about it, I’ve been sick for weeks ”.
The letter left in February and reached the employee at the end of March. The text is the result of an error. After the announcement of the mocking production bonus, it continues as follows:
“The company, taking the opportunity to congratulate for the goal achieved, hopes that this recognition represents a further motivation so that its constant professional commitment is aimed at achieving growing mutual results”.
On these points, the employee commented:
“It would have been more dignified not to write anything. Because it’s true: I didn’t reach the goals and I wouldn’t have deserved any awards. But making fun of me is another matter. They explained to me that the letter shouldn’t have gone out. Mistake adds pain. There was a marked insensitivity towards me and a colleague of mine who received the same letter”.
The results cited in the text refer to 2021, a year characterized by the pandemic. The worker further explains to the Corriere:
“It’s been a tough 12 months. The Covid emergency and the long absence of our superior have complicated the work. There were two of us running the hut. We have been in grueling shifts. Up early at 5 am, to stay in the shop until 10.30 pm to check the bills and the goods. But I’ve never complained because work is sacred. From the day of the unexpected absence of the superior, it was clear to me that it was impossible to achieve the objectives. When I saw the letter, my first reaction was disbelief. Then I felt anger and mortification for being treated like a zero euro”.