Fleet's Annual Safety Bonus Paid Out Entirely in Leftover Halloween Raisins After 'Budget Realignment'
Management called the 11 tiny boxes per driver 'a meaningful, fibre-rich recognition of excellence.' The award for zero preventable accidents is now two boxes.
Drivers at a regional fleet received their annual safety bonuses this morning, and management says it has never been prouder of how far the money went.
Each driver with a clean record was handed 11 tiny boxes of raisins, left over from the office Halloween bowl, where they had sat untouched since Friday night beside a sign that read "TAKE ONE PLEASE."
"Our drivers kept us safe all year, and we wanted to give back something that would last," read a memo from the fleet's Director of Driver Appreciation and Fuel Surcharge Strategy. "Raisins last forever. We checked. Some of these are from 2019."
A 'budget realignment'
The memo explained that the original cash bonus had been "realigned" into the purchase of a second motivational banner for the break room, which reads "SAFETY IS ITS OWN REWARD." The first banner says the same thing, but smaller.
"We looked at the budget and asked ourselves: what do drivers really want?" the memo said. "The answer was money. We then asked a second question."
Tiers of excellence
The new program has three levels:
- One million safe miles: 11 boxes of raisins and a handshake, delivered by email
- Zero preventable accidents: 2 boxes of raisins
- Perfect inspection record: 1 raisin, loose, presented in a ceremony
Drivers who had hoped for the full-size chocolate bars were told those were "allocated to leadership for strategic morale purposes" and are "no longer available, as such."
Driver reaction
Drivers said they were moved by the gesture, mostly toward the door.
One owner-operator leased on to the fleet said he had already turned his raisins into an investment portfolio. "I traded two boxes for a mini bag of chips at the truck stop," he said. "That's a better return than my per-diem."
Next year
Management has confirmed that planning is already underway for next year's holiday party, which will be held in the fuel island and catered entirely from the vending machine. Attendance is mandatory and unpaid.