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Airline is giving all of its employees a huge bonus equal to 8 months of salary

This is how successful companies do good business.

Image credit: N509FZ

Singapore Airlines employees are getting an enormous profit-sharing bonus.

What makes an airline the "best in the world"? Stellar service, on-time departures, plentiful routes, comfortable seating, reasonable ticket prices, solid safety ratings, good loyalty benefits, etc., right? Those are all things customers look for in an airline, and many of them have given Singapore Airlines the title of "most awarded airline." In 2023, it was named the World's Best Airline by Skytrax World Airline Awards for the fifth time, more than any other airline in the 24-year history of the awards.

Now there's another reason Singapore Airlines is being praised by both flyers and non-flyers alike. After the company announced a record net profit for 2023/2024, a source told CNN in May that the airline was giving all of its employees a bonus equivalent to almost 8 months of salary. Though details of the bonus have not been shared by the company, a similar bonus was awarded to Singapore Airlines employees last year, which was also a record-breaking year for the airline. According to an airline spokesperson who spoke to Business Insider, the bonus is due to "a long-standing annual profit-sharing bonus formula that has been agreed with our staff unions."

— (@)

Profit-sharing plans provide an added incentive for employees to boost performance, which benefits both employees and employers—as long as those at the top are not determined to hoard all of a company's profits. Singapore Airlines' profit-sharing bonus may be part of its overall compensation package as opposed to a discretionary bonus, but even so, it's a largely unprecedented amount for any company to pay as a bonus, and people have weighed in with their thoughts.

worker pay, economy, paid time off, airlines, air safety Happy airline employees on the jobImage via Canva

"Smart, this is what keeps employees happy and willing to continue going the extra mile. They are about to have even better coming year now."

"It's not just that it's a bonus....it's the percentage. 8 months of salary is amazing leadership. Wish corporate America would not be so greed with their record profits."

"Paying the staff a bonus, not just the executives, that’s good leadership."

"Congrats to Singapore Airlines! Setting a great example of rewarding employees for their dedication and hard work."

As part of the explanation for its profit of 2.68 billion Singapore dollars ($1.99 billion USD), the airline shared, "The demand for air travel remained buoyant throughout FY2023/24" with a boost by several major Asian countries fully reopening their borders after the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline shared that it carried 36.4 million passengers, a whopping 37.6% increase over the prior year.

Clearly, a lot of people choose Singapore Airlines, but why? What actually makes it the best (or for 2024, second best after Qatar Airways) in the world?

— (@)

For one, they dominate the awards for First Class travel, which is nice but doesn't really affect the average traveler who flies economy. However, even Singapore's economy experience also miles above most other airlines. Singapore Airlines cabins are known for being well designed, impeccably clean and comparatively comfortable and the crew has a reputation for being friendly, attentive and helpful. (In fact, Singapore Airlines was honored with the World's Best Cabin Crew award by Skytrax in 2024.) People who fly Singapore Airlines frequently tout the experience as feeling like it's in an entirely different class than domestic airlines in the U.S., even when flying economy. The seats, the food, the service both on the ground and in the air—all of it adds up to excellence.

When you provide customers the things they value, keep your employees satisfied and happy with fair profit-sharing incentives, and also operate in a cost-efficient way, it's not surprising when you rank highly for awards across the board. That recognition then leads to more customers seeking you out, further increasing your revenue and ultimately leading you to record profits, which then get shared with employees who work that much harder to ensure that this positive cycle continues.

Amazing how when you put customers and employees first, everyone wins.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Health

Bra company CEO wants his male employees to know what it’s like to have large breasts

Their boss mandates it.

via PrimaDonna/YouTube

The male employees of PrimaDonna try on their "breasts."

Let's face it, it's a lot easier to be a man than a woman. Although men die four years earlier than women, they get to live without the extra burdens of menstrual cramps, lower pay, the pain of childbirth, heightened threat of violence, and, on the benign but annoying side, the feeling of a bra strap digging into their backs.

But now, the CEO of a bra company is making the men who work for him experience what it's like to wear a bra and have large breasts so they can understand what many women go through every day.

One day a year, PrimaDonna CEO Ignace Van Doorselaere makes his male employees wear simulated E-cup-sized breasts for an entire work day. "There is only one way for a man to realize what an E-cup feels like, and that is having an E-cup," Van Doorselaere says.

In order to simulate the feeling of carrying around E-cup-sized breasts, the men wear weights hung around their necks. "Let's be honest, an E-Cup can weigh up to 1 or 1.5 kilograms (2.2 to 3.5 lbs) per breast," Van Doorselaere says. "This is a lot. It hurts your neck. It hurts your back. Imagine you are that woman. Carry those breasts for an entire day. That's why you need good support. Good support is important. Everybody at PrimaDonna knows that now."

BodyWell Healthcare notes that not having a supportive bra can do a lot of damage to all women, but especially those with larger breasts. Just some of the issues are those already outlined by Doorselaere: neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, back tension, poor posture and hunching, and breast and chest pain.

Because breasts are mainly made up of mammary glands and soft tissue with support structures like Cooper's Ligaments around them, they need a lot of exterior support as well. Just due to natural movement throughout the day like exercise, walking, jogging, commuting, etc, breasts are subject to a lot of movement that can be damaging to the soft tissue and stretch out the ligaments. These problems can lead to pain, sagging, and loss of skin elasticity.

Wearing a good bra, then, comes with a lot of benefits for all women. A properly-fitted and supportive bra can prevent sagging, enhance natural shape, offer support and weight distribution for the breasts, provide comfort, and even boost confidence.

Looks like these men are learning the truth about breast pain and the need for support goes a long way.

This article originally appeared eight years ago.

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business

Pop Culture

Airbnb host finds unexpected benefits from not charging guests a cleaning fee

Host Rachel Boice went for a more "honest" approach with her listings—and saw major perks because of it.

@rachelrboice/TikTok

Many frustrated Airbnb customers have complained that the separate cleaning fee is a nuisance.

Airbnb defines its notorious cleaning fee as a “one-time charge” set by the host that helps them arrange anything from carpet shampoo to replenishing supplies to hiring an outside cleaning service—all in the name of ensuring guests have a “clean and tidy space.”

But as many frustrated Airbnb customers will tell you, this feature is viewed as more of a nuisance than a convenience. According to NerdWallet, the general price for a cleaning fee is around $75, but can vary greatly between listings, with some units having cleaning fees that are higher than the nightly rate (all while sometimes still being asked to do certain chores before checking out). And often none of these fees show up in the total price until right before the booking confirmation, leaving many travelers feeling confused and taken advantage of.

However, some hosts are opting to build cleaning fees into the overall price of their listings, mimicking the strategy of traditional hotels.

Rachel Boice runs two Airbnb properties in Georgia with her husband Parker—one being this fancy glass plane tiny house (seen below) that promises a perfect glamping experience.

Like most Airbnb hosts, the Boice’s listing showed a nightly rate and separate cleaning fee. According to her interview with Insider, the original prices broke down to $89 nightly, and $40 for the cleaning fee.

But after noticing the negative response the separate fee got from potential customers, Rachel told Insider that she began charging a nightly rate that included the cleaning fee, totaling to $129 a night.

It’s a marketing strategy that more and more hosts are attempting in order to generate more bookings (people do love feeling like they’re getting a great deal) but Boice argued that the trend will also become more mainstream since the current Airbnb model “doesn’t feel honest.”

"We stay in Airbnbs a lot. I pretty much always pay a cleaning fee," Boice told Insider. "You're like: 'Why am I paying all of this money? This should just be built in for the cost.'"

Since combining costs, Rachel began noticing another unexpected perk beyond customer satisfaction: guests actually left her property cleaner than before they were charged a cleaning fee. Her hypothesis was that they assumed she would be handling the cleaning herself.

"I guess they're thinking, 'I'm not paying someone to clean this, so I'll leave it clean,'" she said.

This discovery echoes a similar anecdote given by another Airbnb host, who told NerdWallet guests who knew they were paying a cleaning fee would “sometimes leave the place looking like it’s been lived in and uncleaned for months.” So, it appears to be that being more transparent and lumping all fees into one overall price makes for a happier (and more considerate) customer.

These days, it’s hard to not be embittered by deceptive junk fees, which can seem to appear anywhere without warning—surprise overdraft charges, surcharges on credit cards, the never convenience “convenience charge” when purchasing event tickets. Junk fees are so rampant that certain measures are being taken to try to eliminate them outright in favor of more honest business approaches.

Speaking of a more honest approach—as of December 2022, AirBnb began updating its app and website so that guests can see a full price breakdown that shows a nightly rate, a cleaning fee, Airbnb service fee, discounts, and taxes before confirming their booking.

Guests can also activate a toggle function before searching for a destination, so that full prices will appear in search results—avoiding unwanted financial surprises.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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PMI

Business

Meet the people using their project management skills to better the world

True

Many of us yearn for a career that not only provides a livelihood but also contributes to a better world. We seek a sense of purpose, a way to use our skills and talents to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and the health of our communities. But who orchestrates the initiatives that allow us to give back effectively? Behind the scenes of many successful initiatives advancing the common good are project managers.

Project managers, who are often equipped with certifications from organizations like the Project Management Institute (PMI), bring order and efficiency for complex projects. But project managers go beyond ensuring projects are executed on time and on budget – they make sure the project meets a higher need. Does it positively impact the community? Does it create ease or improve the lives of others? Their work is essential to maximizing the impact of initiatives that better our world.

To showcase the vital role project managers play in creating positive change, we spoke with two rising leaders who are going above and beyond to make a difference in their communities as project managers.

Zack Almer

Every day, 17 people in the U.S. die waiting for an organ transplant, with demand far outpacing supply. In the New York Metro area, Zachary Almer, MPA, PMP, is tackling this challenge head-on. As the Director of Strategic Project Management at LiveOnNY, an organ procurement organization for the greater New York City area, he helped execute a bold strategy that increased organ and tissue donations by 50% over the past two years—resulting in over 2,500 life-saving transplants and setting a new benchmark for what’s possible in healthcare.

“I really enjoy when someone says we need to get something done and there’s no one way to do it. That’s why I love project management, because it allows me to step into a situation where there’s a problem and I need to fix it.” Zack added, “I think if you’re in healthcare, most people have selfless aspirations by the nature of signing up for this work. As long as I have the experience to share, I want to give back.”

Prosperidade Sunguete

As project manager for Angola’s Ana Elisa Philanthropic Association, Prosperidade Sunguete drives initiatives focused on sustainable development and community advancement, encompassing support for children, widows, environmental preservation, health, and education.

In 2023, Prosperidade set about closing the digital divide for children and young adults in Luanda’s Maiombe community after witnessing how little technology and food access the community had. The initiative, Technological Education for All, offers tech education and nutritious meals to over 150 young people from underprivileged backgrounds, granting the recipients greater digital literacy, food security and future learning and career opportunities.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive in an increasingly digital world. Empowering kids through tech education, while also guaranteeing them a daily hot meal, helps give them a leg up to be qualified for future educational and professional opportunities that would not have been available to them otherwise,” Prosperidade emphasized.

Prosperidade added, “project management is not just about meeting deadlines, but about creating lasting value and positive impact on the lives of the people involved as well.” The initiative, nominated for the 2023 Tigra Nova Garra Award, empowers youth and reflects Prosperidade's belief in the transformative power of education.

Project managers, equipped with on-the-job experience and resources from PMI, are the driving force behind social impact campaigns like Zack’s and Prosperidade’s, skillfully navigating challenges and ensuring successful completion. PMI empowers project professionals with skill-building resources like online courses and networking opportunities, validates their expertise with professional certifications, and celebrates their global impact as a global community.

Project Management Institute recognized Zack and Prosperidade for their impactful work alongside other rising trailblazing leaders who are driving global impact through innovative project management. Aspiring project managers seeking to make a difference can begin their journey with the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification.

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Gen Z manager praised for the time-off requests she's rejected - Upworthy ›

business

Education

'One-step-ahead' sneaker store owner found a genius way to stop thieves during a break-in

All they had to do was look in the window.

via Canva/Photos

Some thieves try to break into a store.

On Monday, December 30, a car driven by thieves plowed into the front window of DripOnDrip, an athletic shoe store in Fresno, California, and a team of robbers ran into the place. But after they entered through the busted window, they ran around the store confused for about 30 seconds and then returned to their cars. Why? They couldn’t find anything to steal. The store’s owner, Roman Gonzales, was a step ahead of the thieves by making sure there was very little in his store to take. All they made away with were a few backpacks and some shoes that Gonzales planned to donate to charity.

Evidently, the thieves weren't that bright. “If they would have looked through the window, they would have saved themselves some time and energy from even trying to break in,” Gonzales told KTSM. “They would have noticed that there is nothing here on the floor for them to take.” After having his store gutted by thieves about a year ago, Gonzales ensured it’d never happen again by using clever anti-burglar tactics.

When the store closes every night, he removes all visible merchandise, clears almost the entire floor, and takes every last dime out of the cash register. He even leaves the empty register drawer open by the front window so thieves know there’s nothing they can steal before they bother to break into the place.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

He also ensures that all of the shoes on display are right-footed because there’s not much you can do with just one shoe.

“There’s no value once you take this shoe. I mean, you can’t just buy a left-foot shoe online, either. So you’re not going to be able to use that item or even resell it. It’s just pointless,” Gonzales said. One of the only things left out was some shoes he planned to give to those in need. "They did take some donation shoes that I give away to the community here for teenagers that come in, and I want to make sure that they have some new kicks," Gonzales said.

Gonzales’ approach to preventing his store from being robbed is pretty simple: Don’t give them anything to take.

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A post shared by DripOnDrip👟🔌 (@dripondrip559)

After the recent break-in, Gonzales spoke to the people who run the shopping center about having some large concrete blockades installed between the street and his store to prevent cars from smashing into the window. Ultimately, he hopes the people who broke into his shop will be deterred from doing it again. “Let’s hope they get caught and learn from this situation,” Gonzales said.

This story comes as California is dealing with a jump in property crime that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bucked a 40-year-trend in the state where crime had dropped for 40 years. Since 1993, the state's violent crime rate has decreased by 49% . To reduce the state’s prison population, the state passed Proposition 14 in 2014, reducing many property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. However, the state passed Proposition 36 in November, which returned many crimes to felony status to reverse the rise in property crime.

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Pop Culture

Nike employee goes from intern to CEO in 30 years

He's like if "Just Do It" was a person.

LinkedIn & Nike

Elliott Hill doesn't fit the usual mold of CEO of a multi-billion dollar global corporation.

He wasn't brought in from some fancy consultancy to cut the bottom line and boost profits. On the contrary. He worked his way up from the very bottom.

In this day and age, that's a pretty remarkable feat.

After being announced as the next leader of the storied company, a screenshot of Hill's LinkedIn profile went mega viral.

Why?

Well, just take a look.

Hill has only worked one place — Nike — where he started as a simple intern over 30 years ago. Now he's the CEO.

Obviously, it was a long journey.

Hill spent two years as an intern, then worked his way up through Sales before becoming a VP. That alone took 10 years of hard work.

A few years later he was a President-level executive, and he continued to work on many different teams and divisions for the global brand, gaining valuable knowledge and experience with many different facets of the company

Hill briefly retired from Nike in 2020 before being recruited to come back this year.

Bringing Hill back on board comes on the heels of the previous President & CEO stepping down from the role.

John Donahoe was a former management consultant and previously served as the CEO of eBay and of a cloud computing company before joining Nike.

He was big on tech, big on cost-cutting, and big on layoffs. But he didn't know much about sneakers, or the Nike brand. The results were disastrous for what as once the biggest sneaker brand on the planet.

So Nike looked at its own homegrown talent to find a replacement, seeking someone who not only got the brand and business, but respected and understood its core customers.

Based on tenure and experience, there weren't many better candidates than Hill!

— (@)

No one would ever accuse Nike of always doing the right thing over the years. But this is one good example that other companies should follow: promoting from within.

It's not a great look to bring in an outsider, hired-gun CEO to the tune of a nearly $30 million pay package, only for that person to ruthlessly slash jobs.

But it seems to be a popular choice for big companies these days: Tap a leader who will blindly optimize for profit and shareholder value and/or strip the company for parts. Capitalism, baby!

Nike the corporation will probably be more-or-less fine either way. It's the passionate sneakerheads and the dedicated employees who get hurt — the people who make the brand what it is.

Sean Lemson, a leadership development coach and author, wrote on LinkedIn:

"It was very hard for me to watch (and be swept up in) the way John and other leaders from Silicon Valley just completely devalued the nike-blooded employees who were let go over the years."

Heather Smit, a marketing and creative operations professional at Nike, was extremely candid in her own post:

"Though I survived and even thrived amidst the 2 massive reorganizations John led, they have left us with bumps, bruises, and even scars. We lost a lot. We’ve been through hell and back in the last 5 years under John’s leadership. We’re still here because we LOVE this company and we know we deserve better. The consumer deserves better. Elliott doesn’t have an easy job ahead of him, but he’s got about 80,000 hopeful and energized employees behind him, ready to go."

It's not often you find yourself rooting for a millionaire CEO, but Elliott Hill's story is just so dang inspiring we might not have a choice.

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Education

Business expert shares how he could tell someone was a high performer in 10 seconds

“I just overheard someone and even in a 10-second conversation, I knew they were a high performer."

via Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

A college student reading in the library.

According to sales guru and business expert Mike Manzi, there is a subtle but powerful difference between the attitudes of people he deems “high” or “low” performers, whether in academics or their professional lives.

He shared the observation in a video he recently posted to TikTok. “I just overheard someone and, even in a 10-second conversation, I knew they were a high performer,” Manzi started his video.

“They were some kid in college and they just were like, ‘You know, I don’t get it. As long as you just go to class, study, listen to what they’re talking about, and then try to apply it to your own personal life, how do you not get an A?’” he continued.

How to spot a high performer by eavesdropping

@officialsalesleadertips
How to spot a high performer by eavesdropping #highperformer #highperformancehabits #salesleader #sales

Manzi believes the underlying message is to “Do every single thing and do it well.” The high performer sees operating on a high level as “normal,” whereas the low performer sees doing the basics, such as studying or going to class, as a chore. It’s the difference between having a genuine interest in success and being satisfied with doing the bare minimum.

Just about everyone in the comments agreed with Manzi.

"Yes, and when you inevitably run into a roadblock, you don't say 'It's hard, I can't do it'; you figure out what key part you misunderstood, get help if you need it, then move on," Messnabout wrote. "Truly!! Bc then you’re in the workforce and everyone acts like doing the bare min is pulling teeth. Just do the bare min and then a little extra and managers stay off your back...easy," Sherri added.

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business

This is how successful companies do good business.

Their boss mandates it.

Host Rachel Boice went for a more "honest" approach with her listings—and saw major perks because of it.

All they had to do was look in the window.

He's like if "Just Do It" was a person.

Hill has only worked one place — Nike — where he started as a simple intern over 30 years ago. Now he's the CEO.

Bringing Hill back on board comes on the heels of the previous President & CEO stepping down from the role.

No one would ever accuse Nike of always doing the right thing over the years. But this is one good example that other companies should follow: promoting from within.

“I just overheard someone and even in a 10-second conversation, I knew they were a high performer."

How to spot a high performer by eavesdropping