[freeman]

Main Points

Disclaimer: This has been generated by AI, and why not if it’s available to get this thing done faster right?

• Context: The video captures a town hall meeting held by Andi Owen, CEO of Miller Knoll, during which she addresses employee concerns about potential bonus cancellations amidst economic challenges.
• Main Incident: When employees inquired about their bonuses, Owen responded by urging them to focus on meeting the company’s financial targets rather than worrying about their bonuses. She used the phrase “leave pity city” to emphasize her point.
• Public Reaction: The video went viral, sparking widespread criticism. Many viewers perceived Owen’s remarks as insensitive, especially given her substantial personal bonuses, which reportedly included nearly $4 million in 2022.
• Company Defense: Miller Knoll stated that the video was taken out of context and emphasized Owen’s confidence in the team’s ability to achieve their goals. The company noted the economic difficulties faced by the office furniture industry due to the pandemic and shifting work environments.
• Employee Sentiment: The reaction highlighted broader frustrations with income inequality and perceived disconnects between executive leadership and average employees.
• My own take on this: A CEO’s work is definitely not so hard that they are justified getting paid 400 to sometimes even 1000 times more than the employees, who actually do the real work, rather than sitting in cubicles looking at KPI’s and power points all day long :).

I think it is stupid that humans are not working to change this state of affairs and accepting this helplessly. I know it’s not easy when our own survival is on the line, but there is strength in numbers, so if more people feel the need to change this, change could be brought about.