United changes course on employee ‘lottery’ after backlash

After announcing a rewards system in which only a small percent would receive prizes, the airline’s chief executive said he ‘misjudged how these changes would be received.’

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Fierce criticism caused United Airlines to put the brakes on a lottery system meant to replace its current employee bonus program.

On March 2, United president Scott Kirby sent an email to employees announcing he was swapping quarterly bonuses for a lottery-based program called “core4 Score Rewards.”

Chicago Business Journal reported:

“As we look to continue improving, we took a step back and decided to replace the quarterly operational bonus and perfect attendance programs with an exciting new rewards program called ‘core4 Score Rewards’,” Kirby wrote.

The core4 program Kirby referenced is designed to make employees at United a more caring lot as they carry out their daily duties at the airline. The hope Kirby expressed earlier this year is that United will build an overall image as a more caring airline as the core4 program gets into full swing across the United network.

The New York Times reported:

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