America’s biggest privately owned snack bakery is known for its sweet treats, but even employees at McKee Foods Corp. in Collegedale were surprised this week when company executives announced and began handing out $1,000 cash awards to all full-time employees.
McKee Foods employees came to work Tuesday expecting a routine day baking and packaging products such as Little Debbie Chocolate Cupcakes, Donut Sticks and Honeybuns. But thousands of workers in Collegedale soon learned during a spring report meeting they were getting unexpected $1,000 cash awards for full-time employees and $500 extra checks for part-time employees.
“The recent federal tax legislation will provide benefits to the company and will allow us to invest back into the business. The first thing we thought about was investing in our employees,” Mike McKee, president and CEO of McKee Foods, said Thursday in a report on the employee bonuses.
McKee and other executives, including the company’s namesake “Little Debbie” – Debbie McKee-Fowler – handed out the checks to workers during the company’s routine, yearly spring report meetings, where all employees are invited to hear an update on the company from leadership.
“We decided to keep this a tightly-guarded secret to make it more fun and impactful,” said Debbie McKee-Fowler, executive vice president. “Except for our September Profit-Sharing Meetings, this is about the most fun I’ve had at work in my entire career.”