Here’s why seven of us decided to leave on the day of our company’s pizza party.

 Here’s why seven of us decided to leave on the day of our company’s pizza party.

At the start of the year, all 13 of us took a voluntary pay cut to help keep our small plumbing supply company afloat after the old owner passed away. The new owners, his college-educated children, were struggling to manage the business effectively. In honor of their late father, we agreed to the pay cut with the understanding that, once the company was stable, we’d receive a significant bonus that would more than makeup for our lost wages, plus an increase in our regular pay.

Recently, we received news that the company had made a significant profit for the first time since the old man’s death. We were finally going to get those bonuses!

But when we gathered in the conference room for what we expected to be a celebration, the new owners told us they wouldn’t be paying out bonuses or restoring our previous wages. Instead, they handed out pizza and soda as a “thank you” for our efforts.

I, along with six others, couldn’t accept this blatant disregard for our hard work and walked out immediately. With over 80 years of collective experience in that company, we knew our knowledge and dedication wouldn’t be easy to replace. Maybe these new owners never learned how to value their employees properly, but hopefully, they’ll think twice before treating people this way again.

Three of my former colleagues and I are now starting our own plumbing supply company. We’re prepared for the challenges ahead, but we’re committed to maintaining our integrity and treating people with the respect they deserve—something our old employers clearly didn’t understand.

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