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nickeled and dimed at work

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
we just got a notice that we will have the pleasure (and convenience) of having $25 per month deducted from our paycheck if we want to use the fitness center.

this is on the heels of being told our overall compensation budget for this year's raises is a number that angers me, and that i can't divulge (hint, it's under 3%). maybe parking meters are in the future plans...


yeah, i get that the economy sucks and we were lucky to have a free gym while it lasted. #fortune500problems.


/rant
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,396
16,895
Riding the baggage carousel.
we just got a notice that we will have the pleasure (and convenience) of having $25 per month deducted from our paycheck if we want to use the fitness center.

this is on the heels of being told our overall compensation budget for this year's raises is a number that angers me, and that i can't divulge (hint, it's under 3%). maybe parking meters are in the future plans...


yeah, i get that the economy sucks and we were lucky to have a free gym while it lasted. #fortune500problems.


/rant
You have a fitness center at work? #firstworldproblems indeed. :rofl: I consider myself lucky if our annual "raises" even keep up with inflation, never mind cover the annual health "insurance" premium increase.
 
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narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
you gotta remember that at one point we had about 2000 ppl on site, and the center itself is kinda small...about 3-4 treadmills, some free weights and a few machines, a couple ellipticals, and a group exercise room.

none of the spin classes are offered at or after 5PM now so i have been locked out of those (a typical day for me the last 5 months has been 7:15 to 7, and sometimes i get to work from home and/or on the weekends). yay.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,102
1,153
NC
Our work right now is pretty good about some free stuff. We have a nice break room on the third floor with a pool table, a PS3/Xbox360/big television w/ a good cable package, free hot beverages in all the break rooms, and subsidized soda ($0.25 per can). Plus a free small gym with some basic equipment, and a free, fairly expensive membership to a huge nearby gym if you want it.

Compensation was good this year... but we have some pretty aggressive targets for next year, so I'll be waiting for the hammer to drop when we don't meet them. :rolleyes:
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,317
13,433
Portland, OR
We get free coffee and a free bus pass. The vending machine is expensive and takes credit cards for $1.50 pop tart.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,105
24,638
media blackout
kwitcherbitchin'. i lost my vacation days, paid holidays, and my insurance premiums more than doubled. :rant::rant::rant::rant::rant:


Needless to say, my resume has been updated.
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
kwitcherbitchin'. i lost my vacation days, paid holidays, and my insurance premiums more than doubled. :rant::rant::rant::rant::rant:


Needless to say, my resume has been updated.
we've had that too...a personal day excised, and increasing insurance costs...well, i guess that's a bit more complicated.
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
we just got a notice that we will have the pleasure (and convenience) of having $25 per month deducted from our paycheck if we want to use the fitness center.

this is on the heels of being told our overall compensation budget for this year's raises is a number that angers me, and that i can't divulge (hint, it's under 3%). maybe parking meters are in the future plans...


yeah, i get that the economy sucks and we were lucky to have a free gym while it lasted. #fortune500problems.


/rant
Are you doing the exact same job you were doing last year? If so why should they have to pay you more to do the same job.
 

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
Our insurance costs doubled this year as well, and we got a 1.5% raise last year.....which was the first raise in about 3 years.

So STFU.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Do they charge extra for the unhealthy benefits your office offers - unhealthy break room food and beverages? Going to the gym will lower health insurance costs for your company. The rates are related to the number of claims and types of claims you company files. Our company had a lot of claims so our insurance went up a lot recently though they were unrelated to lack of exercise (we are a large indoor sporting facility)
 

Quo Fan

don't make me kick your ass
I haven't had a raise since I started working for the company back in 2007, we have no fitness center, there is no break room, and no beverages are provided.

As the construction industry goes, so do we. If nobody is creating vibrations that need to be monitored, we let people go.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
we just got a notice that we will have the pleasure (and convenience) of having $25 per month deducted from our paycheck if we want to use the fitness center.

this is on the heels of being told our overall compensation budget for this year's raises is a number that angers me, and that i can't divulge (hint, it's under 3%). maybe parking meters are in the future plans...


yeah, i get that the economy sucks and we were lucky to have a free gym while it lasted. #fortune500problems.


/rant
Tell them that you're going to quit exercising altogether and eat only donuts and lard for the next 18 months. The increase in their insurance premiums for your triple bypass should easily eclipse whatever paltry amount of money they get from the $25/month fee.




In all seriousness, this blows my mind. Insurance costs are skyrocketing for corporations because of the fat and unhealthy people they have on their staff. My wife's and my insurance (paid for through her work) is ~$1200/month because her office is full of obese smokers, some of whom have had single or double bypass surgeries... and still smoke. Companies are starting to offer wellness programs in a desperate attempt to get their workers healthier (or at least slow the rate of decline?) and so to reduce their insurance costs, and your company is going the opposite way and *reducing* the access to exercise? Healthy employees are more productive *and* take fewer sick days than unhealthy ones, saving thousands of dollars for the company. You have some companies that are looking at subsidizing the cost of bicycles to get their employees healthier and more active, and then you have companies like yours discouraging the use of the gym? WTF?
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,105
24,638
media blackout
Tell them that you're going to quit exercising altogether and eat only donuts and lard for the next 18 months. The increase in their insurance premiums for your triple bypass should easily eclipse whatever paltry amount of money they get from the $25/month fee.




In all seriousness, this blows my mind. Insurance costs are skyrocketing for corporations because of the fat and unhealthy people they have on their staff. My wife's and my insurance (paid for through her work) is ~$1200/month because her office is full of obese smokers, some of whom have had single or double bypass surgeries... and still smoke. Companies are starting to offer wellness programs in a desperate attempt to get their workers healthier (or at least slow the rate of decline?) and so to reduce their insurance costs, and your company is going the opposite way and *reducing* the access to exercise? Healthy employees are more productive *and* take fewer sick days than unhealthy ones, saving thousands of dollars for the company. You have some companies that are looking at subsidizing the cost of bicycles to get their employees healthier and more active, and then you have companies like yours discouraging the use of the gym? WTF?
it's like living in crazy nonsense land!