United decides against lottery-style bonus programme

United Airlines won’t be making any changes to its employee bonus programme this year after halting plans for an unpopular lottery-style system. United told workers last month that it would switch from a programme allowing eligible employees to receive a bonus of up to $300 per quarter if the company hits certain operational targets to a lottery that would have handed out larger bonuses, including vacations and luxury cars, but only for some. The announcement angered employees, and the Chicago-based airline reversed course a few days later, saying it would gather more feedback before making changes. After 50 “listening sessions,” United decided to keep its existing quarterly incentive program and perfect attendance rewards in place for the rest of the year, Kate Gebo, the airline’s executive VP of human resources and labor relations, said Tuesday in a letter to employees. When it comes to the airline’s operational performance, Gebo wrote, employees said they “want to be rewarded as a team for what is truly a team accomplishment.”<br/>