State Bank & Trust in Fargo, North Dakota is looking to do some good this holiday season with its employee Christmas bonuses. All full-time employees will receive a $1,000 and part-time $500.
But this year there is a catch for the employee receiving the money. They have to use the money to help someone in need. As part of the "Pay It Forward" initiative, employees were told not to use the money for themselves, their families or families of other bank employees. The bank asked each employee to document the good deed with a video camera. The deadline was set for June 30 to turn in their videos.
The employees were told they can choose an individual cause, pool their money for a larger project or collaborate with donors outside the bank. The privately owned bank has more than 500 employees.
What an awesome idea! Christmas is all about giving and this is a great way to show the community that you are a bank that gives back. This, of course, is assuming that the bank employees were not in desperate need this season or had come to expect a certain bonus each year. If that is the case, then this could be viewed as a cheap publicity stunt and leave a lot of disgruntled employees.
I think this is a novel idea that truly does show the meaning of Christmas. What if everyone across the nation used their Christmas bonuses as a way to spread the wealth and show good cheer. I think it would teach our future generations what Christmas is all about. That it isn't about having the hottest toy or game, but instead about giving to others and lending help when a hand is needed.
It is sad that our society has come this far that when you see a story like this that it is only natural to look for other motives. So what do you think? Is this a good cause or a publicity stunt? I guess only time will tell when the videos surface and the proof of goodness are shown.
