Workers feared layoffs after CEO sold family business, but then they were handed envelopes that made their jaws drop

Being an employer is not just about recruiting and achieving numbers; it involves relationships, growth, and much more. Fibrebond CEO Graham Walker proved this, according to the Wall Street Journal on December 24. The man recently sold his family business in Louisiana, but was sure to keep in mind his employees, who had dedicated more than just their skills and work over the past few years. While each one of them, with their individual stories and futures, worried about what came next, Walker’s $240 million bonus turned their lives around. Walker, their CEO, strategized it in such a way that it highlights trust and leadership, and champions what professional relationships are all about. 

Walker sold his company for a whopping $1.7 billion a few months ago, but kept in mind his 540 employees who, in different capacities, rendered dedication, loyalty, hard work, and more to the company. He sealed the deal in such a way that 15% of the proceeds from the sale went to his employees in the form of bonuses. Starting in June, each of them received around $240 million in bonuses, and long-time employees got even more. “43 years was not all, just roses, right? I mean, it's a hard thing to have a business and to run it properly, and there are lots of hard decisions along the way,” Walker told NBC News. 

“The only way that we could make sense out of all that was to allow people to share in the good part of it as well,” he added. The workers were handed the news in blue and white envelopes and had mixed reactions. Some were brought to tears, others thought it was a prank, and still others were speechless. Lesia Key, one of the employees who had been working for 29 years, revealed how the bonus made a difference. She started in 1995 as a 21-year-old mom and worked her way up to management over the decades. Thanking her for her service, Walker handed her the envelope, and as soon as she opened it, she burst into tears. It was an amount that would change her life for the better.

“Before, we were going paycheck to paycheck. I can live now; I’m grateful,” she noted. The woman paid off her mortgage and chased her dream to open a clothing boutique. Other employees, too, had their worries put to rest with payments and debt cleared, and had dreams fulfilled with purchasing houses, going on vacation, finally taking up retirement, and so on. “It was surreal, it was like telling people they won the lottery. There was absolute shock,” Hector Moreno, a Fibrebond business-development executive, who helped hand over the bonuses, noted.

When things got tough and the company was struggling, employees clung tight despite tight schedules and an unstable future. “We have a family vibe. Everybody cares about everybody,” Key revealed. Walker knew it was his people who pulled the company from drowning and was sure to vouch for them while closing his deal. He was insistent that this was not a “gift” but a well-deserved and “earned” offering. “It's the hard work that the team has put in, the entire team, you know, it's not our family's credit,” he said, of the successful deal. And that’s what healthy professional relationships look like — vouching for one another. Data from WebMD Health Services’ Center for Research revealed that the average person spends one-third of their lives at work. It’s only fair then that their well-being is prioritized.

Unfortunately, out of around 4,100 U.S. employees surveyed, 31% noted having a negative impact on mental health due to work. The average mental health rating was 3.29 and was reportedly the lowest among other well-being dimensions. Only one in four employees believed that their organization actually cares about them. These numbers can be transformed if leaders and employers only give more thought to their employees as part of their team and not just replaceable subordinates. And Walker is a shining example. @mnlatl02 noted, “Imagine how many more lives would change if billionaires shared the wealth.” @nochyballzz added, “Can you imagine if 1,135 billionaires in America give back 15% to the average worker?" @calimero remarked, “Finally, there are good rich people out there. Bless you, sir!”

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