What's the BEST thing a boss has ever done for you?

Is there a deadline on this question? I'm sure I'll be able to think of something eventually ...

 

After I finished a particularly intensive project one year, with pretty good results, I walked into the office one day to find an envelope on my keyboard. Contents: a thank-you note from the ME, and a four-figure bonus check.

 

You must work for a family-owned paper.

 

Either that or the four figures included cents.

 

Or the first two digits were zeros
And yes, it was family-owned, though no more.

 

Last two bosses did this: I work at a crappy place that doesn't allow comp time, or even to carry over vacation time, to the following year. After spending the entire month of October covering the baseball playoffs, working long hours just about every day, I simply asked for a week off the following February, when my teacher wife was off. They both agreed to do it under the table. I'll always appreciate that.

 

Gave me the antidote.





























Turns out he just needed someone to type in JV tennis agate.

 

That's so cool. My dad's boss did something along the same lines -- Dad was set to retire, but the boss (on his own) made it so Dad was officially on sick leave instead of retiring. Dad died a couple of months later, and since he was still technically and employee my mom got a six-figure life insurance payout on top of Dad's retirement.

My boss at the time also told me to take a month off with pay to spend with my dad, for which I'll be eternally grateful.

My current boss? The best thing he does is call in sick, to save us eight hours of torment.

 

She hired me, with no newspaper experience and a hunch I was a hard worker. Three promotions later, still at the place.

 

Did your dad work for the government?

 

Rearranged my schedule to give me three days off consecutively when I told her my girlfriend was finally coming home.

Bless her.

 

Was covering a thanksgiving weekend basketball tournament one weekend (when I was at a one-man shop, taking my own photos as well). Local High (and the school we (I) covered) has a game at noon that day and then at 7:30 p.m. in a city that has minor-league sports. About 45 minutes away. Living hand to mouth at the time. I just planned on hanging out at the tourney between games just watching other teams and reading a book.
Getting ready to leave for the noon game, and my publisher (whose son was the team's star guard (more issues, but that's a story for another time)) calls me into his office. Asks me what I am going to do between games. Told him my plan, and he pulls a 50 out of his wallet, hands it to me and says "Have a nice lunch on me and catch a movie".
I thought that was cool.