Nice to see employers who value their staff!

[stayclassy]

It’s great to see old school employers who still value employees and run their business like a family; I think this is the key that a lot of companies don’t get! If you value and invest into your staff, they will not only feel appreciated, but they will take pride in their work and want to achieve better results. The chances of them staying on “long term” are also a lot higher. I am not just referring to this case but in general, investing in training is another bonus which not only benefits the individual for many reasons but also the business.

A MELBOURNE boss has stunned his staff by giving them a staggering $15 million gift -- the ultimate pay-off for their hard work and loyalty.

Workers at bus company Grenda couldn't believe their good fortune when surprise bonuses averaging $8500 were paid into their accounts - with some staff receiving as much as $30,000.

Family-owned Grenda Corporation recently sold off its transit operations after 66 years and decided to pour a chunk of the profits into the remarkable thank-you gesture.

Patriarch Ken Grenda, 79, and sons Geoff and Scott, have been dubbed Australia's most generous bosses after rewarding 1800 staff, from drivers to senior executives, for contributing to the company's success.

Some wept while others rang their banks thinking there might be an error.

But Mr Grenda, the major shareholder, modestly played down the "best boss" moniker, instead paying tribute to his staff.

"A business is only as good as its people, and our people are fantastic," he said. "This is to recognise that. We have had people here who are second generation, and one fellow in the same job for 52 years.

"We have grown from just four bus routes in Dandenong in 1945 to operating 1300 buses in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. You only get there if you have good people."

The family has been swamped with about 100 emails and countless phone calls of thanks from staff, who will all keep their jobs under the new owners.

Mr Grenda, who was awarded an AM for his services to the bus industry, said the gratitude was humbling.

"The response has been pretty fantastic," he said.

"People said all sorts of things. One said they had a huge amount of bills and you have suddenly got me out of a hole."

The bonuses were paid in various amounts based on years of service and position.

Staff who had worked with Grenda for three months or more pocketed anywhere from about $1000 to $30,000 before tax.

The company last year sold its transit operations to Melbourne operator Ventura for about $400 million.

Grenda is also Australia's largest bus maker, building about 600 buses a year.

It expects to settle on the sale of the bus building business Volgren to a Brazilian company tomorrow.

Grenda bus driver Heath, with the company for just 10 months, received less than the average bonus, but was dumbfounded by his windfall of around $850.

"Some employees were calling their banks assuming it was an error," he said. "Good bosses are hard to find and Ken was a very good boss, one of a kind."

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/meet...#ixzz1lE9Xk9Us

3AW Interview with Grenda.

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blog/australias-best-boss-revealed/20120201-1qs3c.html

[Dudermagee]

Tl:dr

[M0ar.Stickers]

great story, very rare does this happen in the business world.

another example of this would be my dad's boss that owned a VERY successful BMW dealership in SoCal sold his business for the tune of upwards of 500 mil used a formula to give those that had spent some time working for him a serious amount of money. janitors working 10 years for the company found them selves $25,000 richer and those that had just joined a few months prior about $1000 richer. another great story of true appreciation for those people who made him that successful.

[Oxer]

Hopefully the employees enjoy the bonus, it wont happen for another 50 years.

[stayclassy]

great story, very rare does this happen in the business world.

another example of this would be my dad's boss that owned a VERY successful BMW dealership in SoCal sold his business for the tune of upwards of 500 mil used a formula to give those that had spent some time working for him a serious amount of money. janitors working 10 years for the company found them selves $25,000 richer and those that had just joined a few months prior about $1000 richer. another great story of true appreciation for those people who made him that successful.

That's great to hear that stories like this aren't just a "one off" and happen all over the world. To be honest, it's the first I've ever heard of something like this occuring. Hopefully other businesses take note and start to move away from the "hire and chuck" mentality. Good workers are hard to find but good employers are even harder to find, someone once told me you don't get to be CEO by being Mr. Nice Guy. So in such a savage world, it's inspiring to see managers who retain some ethics and insight into what it's like to be part of the "working class".