Company tells workers to make ‘appreciation’ potluck without pay — ends up regretting it instantly

Workplace appreciation events are meant to boost morale, but when employees are expected to invest their own time, money, and effort just to participate, it starts feeling less like appreciation and more like unpaid labor. One employee wasn’t about to let that slide. Reddit user u/tvcity6455 shared their experience working at a satellite office of a large department within a massive corporation. The department had over 300 employees, split between salaried staff with benefits and hourly contractors who had no such perks. It was run by two "vindictive" women. 

"They loved talking about how much they were like sisters; I loved pointing out that when you have sisters like them, one of them ends up under Dorothy’s house," the user wrote. To show their appreciation for employees, the company announced an 'Appreciation Potluck.' "There were going to be surprises! And delicious treats from our coworkers!" said the user. And then came the inevitable catch. The company was providing only soft drinks as alcohol on company property is forbidden (except when it isn't). As for the food? Employees were expected to cook and bring their own dishes. "Nothing store-bought–share some love with us!" the user explained.

They further wrote, "They couldn’t put it in writing, but it got around that failing to cook something would be 'noted.'" For the salaried employees, this was just an inconvenience, but for the 150 hourly contractors, it meant donating major time and effort without pay. That’s when the user decided to throw a wrench into the company’s plan. Two days before the potluck, during a routine call, the worker casually brought up the issue with their boss. "Oh, I need to leave early tomorrow to cook for the potluck since I assume you can’t authorize overtime for it." The boss was caught off guard. "Wait, you expect to get paid for cooking?" she asked.

The worker responded, "Half this staff is hourly contractors. Does this for-profit company expect 150 contractors to donate three or more hours of their personal time for their own appreciation meal?" The conversation sparked a panic among upper management. "I’m told my call sent people panicked and scurrying around at the mother ship, consuming a day and a half of a lot of people's time. Mission accomplished." As a result, the potluck was moved to lunchtime, ensuring that hourly employees were paid for attending. The company also bought pizzas, but only for the satellite office.

Employees were instructed not to be seen eating pizza on Skype calls with other offices because "everyone else would get upset." Reddit users responded to the story, calling out the hypocrisy of the situation. u/lizzyote said, "I love when employee appreciation events require the employees to spend their time and money just for the company to take credit for it. If you're paycheck to paycheck, f*** your electric bill." u/AngryCod commented sarcastically, "You got the 5-minute music dance experience. Don't you feel appreciated yet?" u/Renbarre joked, "Potluck: White rice. That's a luxury, I bought Thai rice instead of plain. Need to put money aside for my health coverage." u/information_abyss shared, "I enjoy cooking and sharing food with my coworkers. Wouldn't force that on anyone though. And I've gotten sick from two potlucks…"