So SS has stopped sending out cards or is it just me that didn't make the grade this year?

Good point!

I got one two years ago but not last year, and not so far this year.

who cares

No one really. It's not a very serious thread! Except maybe to indicate how seriously they are taking cost cutting!

Eta reply for two posts up

They have cut back on unecessary expenditures to make sure that the funds go toward essentials like maintaining the cappucino machine, and having masseuses on call

Used to get them. They could easily send a e-card to every Member for free thanking us for making SS what it is and Happy whatever. Sorry. ain't gonna happen.

Shutterstock does not recognize a specific Christmas Day because every day is Christmas at Shutterstock. Thanks to us hard working elves.

haha
this is great

Just got a "Thanks for being part of our community" email from SS

not exactly a Christmas Card, but a thought never the less . . . . . .

ditto.

So SS has stopped sending out cards or is it just me that didn't make the grade this year?

No card for us peasants. They spent all the money giving their administrative staff at Shutterstock Tower more important things like gyms, game rooms and Pizza Fridays. 

whats wrong with a company looking after their employees?

Just found out they had much bigger things to worry about than writing cards. Guess Christmas is cancelled over at SS HQ with the Rex scandal hitting the fan.

whats wrong with a company looking after their employees?

What's wrong with a company looking after their contributors, the ones who make the company AND the employees possible?

not disputing that, just dont get the envy comments about pizza and stuff, and a christmas card doesnt feed my family, i dont get hung up if they send me a card or not, id rather they focus on selling tons of my images

whats wrong with a company looking after their employees?

Hear! hear!  Nothing wrong with it at all.  Wish more companies would take care of employees not just financially but those little things like treating professionals with respect and not micromanaging their every single move and treating them like five year olds.  Some companies like Google and others have these perks and they sure seem productive, probably a lot more than the workplaces where the supervisor stands over everyone and no matter what they did they did it wrong.

One of the TV stations I worked at had pass card locks on the bathrooms, why? well....it was linked to their productivity software and they timed how long you were in there, same software that monitored the computers for activity and nailed you if you didn't type on your keyboard constantly during the work day except when in meetings.

Quote from: Microstockphoto on December 19, 2015, 03:32

whats wrong with a company looking after their employees?

Hear! hear!  Nothing wrong with it at all.  Wish more companies would take care of employees not just financially but those little things like treating professionals with respect and not micromanaging their every single move and treating them like five year olds.  Some companies like Google and others have these perks and they sure seem productive, probably a lot more than the workplaces where the supervisor stands over everyone and no matter what they did they did it wrong.

One of the TV stations I worked at had pass card locks on the bathrooms, why? well....it was linked to their productivity software and they timed how long you were in there, same software that monitored the computers for activity and nailed you if you didn't type on your keyboard constantly during the work day except when in meetings.

Well, but you and I are the ones paying for all those wonderful perks, at our own expense! We get the shaft on royalties so the shareholders can make billions, but then the employees get all kinds of sweet things, too. Nothing wrong with company perks as long as it isn't at the expense of someone else, and in this instance, it is. And as far as the pecking order goes, I personally think it should be contributors, then investors, then management, then employee perks. I will remove my rose-colored glasses now. 

Quote from: weathernewsonline.com on December 21, 2015, 12:54

Quote from: Microstockphoto on December 19, 2015, 03:32

whats wrong with a company looking after their employees?

Hear! hear!  Nothing wrong with it at all.  Wish more companies would take care of employees not just financially but those little things like treating professionals with respect and not micromanaging their every single move and treating them like five year olds.  Some companies like Google and others have these perks and they sure seem productive, probably a lot more than the workplaces where the supervisor stands over everyone and no matter what they did they did it wrong.

One of the TV stations I worked at had pass card locks on the bathrooms, why? well....it was linked to their productivity software and they timed how long you were in there, same software that monitored the computers for activity and nailed you if you didn't type on your keyboard constantly during the work day except when in meetings.

Well, but you and I are the ones paying for all those wonderful perks, at our own expense! We get the shaft on royalties so the shareholders can make billions, but then the employees get all kinds of sweet things, too. Nothing wrong with company perks as long as it isn't at the expense of someone else, and in this instance, it is. And as far as the pecking order goes, I personally think it should be contributors, then investors, then management, then employee perks. I will remove my rose-colored glasses now. 

I think most of the shafting is due to the exec pay and shareholder returns once a company goes public, it's sad but as Kevin O'leary said in one of his lectures to startups, the day you go public your only job is to make money for the shareholders, everything changes.  Shareholder value.  Exec pay in some cases is in the millions or higher and that money has to come from somewhere as well.   Perks for front line employees I don't think cost all that much compared to other things and if it helps with employee physical and mental health I am all for it.   A gym, a badminton court, a pool table.....you build these things once and they are good for years and help employees be much more productive.

I had three good bosses at two of the TV stations, no perks like a badminton court of anything but one of the perks was being treated with respect, a few compliments when I brought in good video....wow! the news director actually took the time to find out who shot the video on a story, and another perk we had was when it was slow no one looked at what we were doing, "just be there when the bell rings" and believe me that was the best one of all and I was there when the bell rung and often on my own time if big breaking news happened and I was so happy working for this boss I never booked OT when I got up at 2am on my own to rush to major breaking news.

now when other bosses arrived on the scene it was very different and it turned into work to rule with blackberry being turned off literally one minute after my shift was over and no matter how big the emergency if I was off duty believe me I was not coming in.

So based on my experience both good and bad I am all for spending money on keeping employees happy, a better pay but also some perks, for those caught cheating and abusing the system......fire them on the spot.

Quote from: cathyslife on December 21, 2015, 13:34

Quote from: weathernewsonline.com on December 21, 2015, 12:54

Quote from: Microstockphoto on December 19, 2015, 03:32

whats wrong with a company looking after their employees?

Hear! hear!  Nothing wrong with it at all.  Wish more companies would take care of employees not just financially but those little things like treating professionals with respect and not micromanaging their every single move and treating them like five year olds.  Some companies like Google and others have these perks and they sure seem productive, probably a lot more than the workplaces where the supervisor stands over everyone and no matter what they did they did it wrong.

One of the TV stations I worked at had pass card locks on the bathrooms, why? well....it was linked to their productivity software and they timed how long you were in there, same software that monitored the computers for activity and nailed you if you didn't type on your keyboard constantly during the work day except when in meetings.

Well, but you and I are the ones paying for all those wonderful perks, at our own expense! We get the shaft on royalties so the shareholders can make billions, but then the employees get all kinds of sweet things, too. Nothing wrong with company perks as long as it isn't at the expense of someone else, and in this instance, it is. And as far as the pecking order goes, I personally think it should be contributors, then investors, then management, then employee perks. I will remove my rose-colored glasses now. 

One of the best Posts for 2015.

I got a very Nice expensive Handwritten Card today from Adobe/Fotolia.

I got my Christmas wish from FT when we parted ways. Such a great feeling to not be associated with such crooked management and self serving, cheating practices they levy on contributors. I don't miss the $60 a month that's for sure.

not disputing that, just dont get the envy comments about pizza and stuff, and a christmas card doesnt feed my family, i dont get hung up if they send me a card or not, id rather they focus on selling tons of my images

I want some pizza gift certificates and a Tae Bo DVD. 

i hope the expensive hand written christmas card spreads easily on the sandwich of your children, ill take my chances with chunky peanut butter

devils advocate,  without agencies we wont sell or sell as much or some wouldnt be able to sell at all

devils advocate,  without agencies we wont sell or sell as much or some wouldnt be able to sell at all

So then both sides should reach a symbiotic relationship,  not a parasitic one.  If both cannot thrive it is going to fail.

A few years ago iStock sent out Christmas cards. They arrived in April and were sent to the wrong contributors. They did a recall, and three months later managed to get the cards to the correct contributors, but people were concerned that they received only a smaller portion of the original card, and some people were calling for an audit.

Lol. I guess your daamned if you do and daamned if you dont.

If I was an agency, I would not send Christmas cards. Why?! Because it is not a global holiday. It is bound to one religion only. There are contributors with different beliefs and there are with none.
I would send an e-mail at the end of the year though.

Whose year-end would you choose?

Quote from: ShadySue on December 26, 2015, 07:23

Quote from: Cylonphoto on December 26, 2015, 02:35

If I was an agency, I would not send Christmas cards. Why?! Because it is not a global holiday. It is bound to one religion only. There are contributors with different beliefs and there are with none.
I would send an e-mail at the end of the year though.

Whose year-end would you choose?

The financial year. . .

5th April, then? or Divali in India ... or ...?