McDonald’s gave employees this ‘bonus’ and people couldn’t believe it

Many employees hope for some kind of appreciation from their companies at the end of the year—whether it's a bonus, a gift, or even just a thoughtful gesture. But for one McDonald's worker, the reality was far from rewarding.

Reddit user u/MMS37 took to the platform to reveal the so-called "bonus" they received from one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world—and the response was a mix of frustration, disbelief, and secondhand embarrassment.

Representative photo by Vitolda Klein | Unsplash

Not exactly what they expected

The employee, strongly implying that they work at McDonald's, shared a post showing what the company gave them to thank them for their work.

"I work for one of the biggest companies in the world. This was my bonus," they wrote, alongside a photo of their underwhelming gift.

It included:

• A thick cardboard bag with the McDonald's logo, which, according to the worker, would “disintegrate” if it got wet.
• A free movie ticket to a cinema in another city, making it more expensive to travel there than simply buying a ticket at a local theater.
• A few pin-up badges featuring a thumbs-up emoji.

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Workers and customers react: ‘This is just insulting’

The post quickly gained traction, with many fellow McDonald’s employees chiming in—confirming that this wasn’t an isolated experience. Some even preferred getting nothing over receiving a pitiful gift like this.

u/ShiftWorth5734 shared,

"I actually appreciated when my company just stopped doing bonuses altogether. It’s actually more dignified than this insulting stuff."

Image Source: Reddit | u/Yattiel

Others were baffled by the cardboard bag, including u/godefroy15, who wrote:

"What’s with this cardboard backpack thing? My girlfriend’s mum got some from her job and gave me one. Unpractical as hell. Wore it a few times, and it’s all crumpled."

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Branded merchandise instead of real appreciation

Some pointed out that the gift wasn’t really a bonus at all—it was just free advertising for the company.

u/CategoryKiwi called it out directly:

"Even calling it branded company merchandise feels generous. They’re trying to make their employees into living advertisements. They should be (separately/additively) paying people to use that garbage."

Another user, u/BraveInflation1098, agreed, saying:

"Living advertisements, exactly! It won’t work though—who in their right mind would actually use it in public?"

Meanwhile, u/rustys_shackled_ford shared how things used to be different, recalling:

"In the '80s, McDonald's used to give every single employee a turkey for Thanksgiving and a ham for Christmas."

Representative photo by Canva

A lesson in how not to reward employees

At a time when worker appreciation matters more than ever, this so-called "bonus" left many feeling undervalued and dismissed. While companies don’t necessarily have to give huge cash bonuses, a thoughtful or useful gesture goes a long way in making employees feel respected.

Unfortunately for this worker, a cardboard bag and a movie ticket they can’t use didn’t quite do the trick.

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