Employees of an Australian bus company thought that there was an error when their bank balance showed a few extra zeroes on payday.
It was no mistake.
The 1,800 staff at Grenda Corporation in Melbourne have received bonuses averaging more than US$9,100 and as much as US$107,000 after the Grenda family sold the 66-year-old business for almost US$430 million.
According to chief executive Geoff Grenda, the gratitude of staff – one whom had been with the company for 52 years – as “overwhelming”.
“We [together with his father Ken and brother Scott] sat down and thought: ‘how can we thank the people that have got us to where we’re going to end up?’ and it was a fairly easy decision for us,” Grenda said in an interview with Nine Network television.
He added that they have had lots of loyal people working for them in the past 66 years and giving them a share of the proceeds was their way of thanking them for their loyalty.
As an added reward to his staff, the terms of the sale to rival transport firm Ventura secured the jobs of every employee who wanted to stay at the company.
For Ken Grenda, the response was overwhelming. Since the payout, he had received countless phone calls, emails, flowers and everything in between.
“There were lots of tears, of course, because I think that bus drivers aren't the highest-paid people in the world, and for some of them this money will be very useful," he added.
And he has a message for other bosses - look after your staff and don't get greedy.
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