Yahoo Finance CEO earning $7m blasts staff over bonuses: ‘Pity city’
The CEO has been called ‘tone deaf’ over her comments.
A CEO has sparked outrage after she told staff to “leave pity city” and stop complaining about bonuses, in leaked footage.
The American furniture company CEO reportedly earned more than $7.4 million (US $5 million) last year, including a $1.9 million bonus (US $1.2 million).
In the leaked video, MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen addressed questions about how staff could stay motivated if they weren’t going to get bonuses, saying some questions were nice and others “were not so nice”.
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At first, Owen stayed calm and told staff to focus on what they could control, including good customer service, treating each other well and being “kind” and “respectful”.
Things then took a turn, with Owen raising her voice and telling staff: “Don’t ask about, ‘What are we going to do if we don’t get a bonus?’ Get the damn $26 million.”
“Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you’re going to do if you don’t get a bonus. Alright? Can I get some commitment for that?”
zoom call from a ceo who cancelled all employee bonuses but took a $6.4 million bonus herself pic.twitter.com/SMZP6QQYCX
— Warren Commission Test Skull (@conzmoleman) April 17, 2023
She continued: “I had an old boss who said, ‘You can visit pity city, but you can’t live there’. So, people, leave pity city! Let’s get it done.”
The clip has gone viral online, with one version of the video now viewed more than 2 million times on Twitter. Many commentators have called Owen out for her hypocrisy.
“Be respectful... Maybe she should take her own advice,” one person commented on Reddit.
“Guys i know you’re struggling to feed your families but literally just leave pity city come on,” another said.
“Such a wonderfully entitled woman. I am fascinated by the degree of being tone deaf,” a third person wrote.
A MillerKnoll spokesperson said the leaked clip had been taken out of context.
“Andi fiercely believes in this team and all we can accomplish together, and will not be dissuaded by a 90-second clip taken out of context and posted on social media,” the spokesperson told Motherboard.
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