Quote:
Originally Posted by 2OutsNoProb
Some people's situation is bad enough that they have accepted not needing much.
What I've seen on the high end has made me actually embarrassed. I was in a situation where the group I work in was going to be laid off due to a merger. The guys I work with were outraged we weren't offered a retention bonus to stay until the end of the year (even though the company guaranteed we would all receive a full bonus no matter what happens). They wanted to call for a meeting and demand a 50k cash bonus for each of us for the next 6 months of work on top of our regular salary, full bonus, and severance (multiple weeks paid cash for every year of service at the company). I sat and watched these people complain endlessly, while I sat there very quietly. Finally one of them said "Wil, what do you think?" I said "I grew up poor, so what you guys are even saying is completely foreign to me. If you really think we can get it, go for it." I went home and asked my wife what she thought because I was so incredulous. She said "white people are so entitled. Don't be surprised if you get it". 5 days later I received a letter asking me to sign an agreement that I would accept 40k as an acceptable retention.
Think about that for a second. People I worked with were OUTRAGED they weren't offered extra money to do their regular job responsibilities. I burst out laughing out of joy and signed it.
I've heard endless stories about situations like this. A good friend of mine who worked at Goldman Sachs told me his manager quit on the spot because he "only" received a bonus of 75k, on top of his 100k salary. Granted, he was expecting 250k as a bonus, but still. I was dumbfounded.
What one person considers as "acceptable" is wildly different than another. I don't understand why so many people scoff at the idea that someone would consider welfare as acceptable.