Overnight Worker Is 'Rewarded' With Employee Appreciation Pizza Party, Sparking Debate About Management Not Giving Raises Instead
A slice of cheap pizza is no substitute for fair pay.
@kissmyoosik3.0 / TikTok You might expect to receive a pizza party as a reward for something like good behavior in elementary school, or maybe for a holiday celebration, but at work? It feels a bit like a consolation prize at best.
Free pizza isn’t an adequate substitute for fair compensation at work, and cold leftovers from an earlier shift’s pizza party are just insulting. However, that's exactly what one worker on TikTok received.
A worker showed the leftovers of an 'employee appreciation' pizza party held at her job.
TikTok user "@kissmyoosik3.0" posted a video alongside a caption that read, "Uhh thanks... can I get a raise?" showing how undervalued she and her coworkers are at their job.
It looks like their management bought pizzas for the workers, but the earlier shift employees finished most of the food, leaving empty boxes and a few cold slices for the overnight shift employees. Receiving pizza instead of a bonus or raise is already disrespectful, but it was a particular affront to the overnight employees, who were left with a mess and no fresh food.
The text overlaid on her video sarcastically read “overnight employee appreciation” as she panned the camera around the room, showing off stacks of empty Domino’s boxes. One hashtag on the video was “#cantpaybillswithpizza.”
Comments on TikTok were full of other workers who had gone through similar experiences. A few people instantly pegged the workplace as a Walmart, which the creator confirmed.
“Day shift gets two dozen doughnuts once a week. Swings and graves are lucky if we get the stale leftovers,” the top comment complained. “Also they expect you to clean up the room. Lol,” another added.
There were an unfortunate amount of people who had been neglected as late-shift workers. One comment asked, “Why do they never remember the night staff?”
An easy way to avoid treating some staff members better than others would be to give everyone an equal bonus or raise, but nevertheless, many companies expect their employees to be satisfied with occasional free food.
“When you need a raise to buy groceries for your family, just remember that pizza was bussin!” one comment joked. “Your bonus went towards the pizza party. Good job team,” said another.
Morale boosters like pizza parties aren’t a substitute for fair pay and feel patronizing when coming from generously compensated management.
Free food certainly isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not money, either. Other videos in the “#pizzaparty” hashtag had jokes to crack about the trend, with one woman even remixing a Beyoncé song to express her frustration. “I just sent it to my boss! He laughing and I’m serious,” one woman commented.
Another said, “My job gives candy and backpacks. They got mad at me when I asked for a gift card instead of that junk.”
If TikTok is any indication, it seems like employees don’t necessarily feel appreciated when they’re rewarded for hard work with cheap pizza, candy, or company loot instead of money. While some commenters claimed free food is better than nothing, others insisted that workers not settle for scraps.
“Start a union,” one comment suggested. “Demand a raise and don’t settle for anything less.”
Jessica Bracken is a writer living in Davis, California. She covers entertainment and news for YourTango.