Coles faces backlash from employees for their $5 Christmas gift
By
VanessaC
- Replies 12
Coles has enjoyed a banner year, raking in a whopping $1.1 billion in profits.
But according to some employees, the retail giant's Christmas gift shows they aren't sharing the wealth.
Recently, Coles decided to ‘reward’ its staff with a red Coles-branded water bottle and 5 mythanks points (equivalent to $5), which has sparked outrage among SDC members, customers and employees alike.
'What a joke. Shows how much they really care about their staff. What a slap in the face,' member @Janice McKay said.
While member @Logical7 added: 'Lift your game, Coles. You have made more than enough profit for this year. It wouldn't hurt you to reward those who have made it possible getting you there, and also the customers.'
You can read more comments here.
Meanwhile, one worker claimed this gift is even more ‘useless’ than it first appears.
The announcement also came amidst rising reports of verbal abuse towards staff, $25 million in unpaid wages, and increased surveillance due to a surge in shoplifting incidents.
Despite these challenges, the company's yearly earnings seem to have remained unaffected.
The employee further revealed that the $5 reward is not as generous as it seems, as the 5 mythanks points cannot be redeemed until the employee accumulates a total of 10 mythanks points.
'So mythanks is like a promotion,' they said.
This revelation has led to criticism that the gift is more of an incentive to work harder rather than a reward for the hard work already done.
‘So if you do something good, it’s like a mythanks,’ they added.
Meanwhile, Coles' response to the backlash has been to defend its Christmas gift.
'We offer increased team member discounts in-store and online during December and January,' a spokesperson explained.
'We also offer our team increased discounts on exclusive liquor brands and increased Flybuys points as we head into the holiday season. Each of our stores also has a Christmas gathering, which includes a shared meal to celebrate as a team.'
'Our store team members have also been offered a small additional gift of the water bottle, and mythanks points to show our appreciation for their work.'
However, critics have pointed out that in-store discounts, branded merchandise, and mythanks and/or Flybuys points cost the corporation virtually nothing.
In fact, these 'gifts' actually require staff to spend their hard-earned money at Coles.
The Coles water bottle also serves as free advertising, as anyone using it in public would be promoting the brand.
What are your thoughts on this issue, dear members? Have you experienced similar situations in your workplace? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.
But according to some employees, the retail giant's Christmas gift shows they aren't sharing the wealth.
Recently, Coles decided to ‘reward’ its staff with a red Coles-branded water bottle and 5 mythanks points (equivalent to $5), which has sparked outrage among SDC members, customers and employees alike.
'What a joke. Shows how much they really care about their staff. What a slap in the face,' member @Janice McKay said.
While member @Logical7 added: 'Lift your game, Coles. You have made more than enough profit for this year. It wouldn't hurt you to reward those who have made it possible getting you there, and also the customers.'
You can read more comments here.
Meanwhile, one worker claimed this gift is even more ‘useless’ than it first appears.
The announcement also came amidst rising reports of verbal abuse towards staff, $25 million in unpaid wages, and increased surveillance due to a surge in shoplifting incidents.
Despite these challenges, the company's yearly earnings seem to have remained unaffected.
The employee further revealed that the $5 reward is not as generous as it seems, as the 5 mythanks points cannot be redeemed until the employee accumulates a total of 10 mythanks points.
'So mythanks is like a promotion,' they said.
This revelation has led to criticism that the gift is more of an incentive to work harder rather than a reward for the hard work already done.
‘So if you do something good, it’s like a mythanks,’ they added.
Meanwhile, Coles' response to the backlash has been to defend its Christmas gift.
'We offer increased team member discounts in-store and online during December and January,' a spokesperson explained.
'We also offer our team increased discounts on exclusive liquor brands and increased Flybuys points as we head into the holiday season. Each of our stores also has a Christmas gathering, which includes a shared meal to celebrate as a team.'
'Our store team members have also been offered a small additional gift of the water bottle, and mythanks points to show our appreciation for their work.'
However, critics have pointed out that in-store discounts, branded merchandise, and mythanks and/or Flybuys points cost the corporation virtually nothing.
In fact, these 'gifts' actually require staff to spend their hard-earned money at Coles.
The Coles water bottle also serves as free advertising, as anyone using it in public would be promoting the brand.
Key Takeaways
- Coles supermarket is facing backlash from employees over a branded water bottle and 5 mythanks points given as a Christmas gift.
- An anonymous worker revealed that staff cannot redeem the mythanks points until they accumulate up to $10, implying the need to earn more points to cash out the initial gift.
- Coles defended the gift in a statement, highlighting other benefits for the staff, such as increased team member discounts, exclusive liquor brand discounts, and additional Flybuys points.
- Critics argue that the chosen gifts effectively force the staff to spend money at Coles, thus benefiting the corporation more than its employees.