'Leave pity city,' MillerKnoll CEO tells staff who asked whether they'd lose bonuses

 

The CEO of an office furniture giant landed at the center of a social media storm this week after she told her staff to focus on being better employees instead of asking whether they'd lose their bonuses.

The leaked comments from MillerKnoll's Andi Owen are sparking debate about workplace attitudes in the face of greater economic uncertainty and whether CEOs are out of touch with their staffs.

"Don't ask about 'what are we going to do if we don't get a bonus?' Get the damn $26 million," Owen says in the video, in apparent reference to an internal financial performance target.

"Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you're going to do if you don't get a bonus, all right? Can I get some commitment?" the CEO says, while waving her finger at her staff on the screen.