Cancelled The Perks They Called Me Toxic
I’d just left a creative meeting when a TikTok video popped up on my feed, slamming my company.
The title: "Stay Away! This Austin startup is incredibly cheap. The perks are a joke."
The video showed off the pour-over coffee from Austin's hottest independent cafe and pastries from a top-tier French bakery. The same ones I’d just had my assistant, Sam, hand out.
I frowned.
In the company's Slack channel, I tagged everyone.
"@here Any suggestions for this afternoon's Happy Hour?"
Leo, the new Gen-Z intern, replied instantly with a voice note.
“Asher, with all due respect, these snacks with gluten and dairy are so unhealthy.”
“A truly visionary company would hire a private chef to customize raw, vegan bites for everyone's dietary needs. That's what respect looks like.”
I laughed. It was an angry laugh.
The company's daily snack budget was $25 per person. For an Austin startup, that was top of the line.
I typed back:
"Since it's impossible to please everyone, the snack perk is canceled. I'll convert the budget into a cash bonus for all of you."
Less than five minutes later, the TikTok caption was updated.
"UPDATE: Y'all, I can't make this up. I made a suggestion about dietary inclusivity, and my toxic boss just canceled all the perks! This is how toxic bosses act. Can't handle a single piece of feedback!"