Did Delta give employees FAKE money? TikTok shows prop cash used for bonus
Between unruly passengers who refuse to mask up, and canceled flights due to lack of staff, things aren't exactly great for Delta Airlines. Nonetheless, the company went ahead and gave its employees a bonus as part of its profit-sharing agreement on February 14, 2022. However, even that ended up mired in scandal thanks to one TikToker.
The story is likely to cause further distress for Delta, which has been struggling to keep flights incident-free in recent months. In November 2021, a woman was caught breastfeeding a cat aboard a flight. In December, Patricia Cornwall was caught slapping and spitting on a man who lowered his mask to eat. Then in January 2022, Irish soccer coach Shane Mclnerney exposed his buttocks while on a Delta flight and refused to mask up.
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Those are just some of the many incidents to leave Delta red-faced and struggling for a solution. Despite that, and the disruption caused by Covid-19, the carrier became the only one to post a profit in the second half of 2021. As a result, on February 14, CEO Ed Bastian announced bonus payments to all employees, up to $1,250 per person. In what should have been a moment of celebration, turned into anything but for one family.
TikToker accused Delta of passing fake money
On February 15, 2022, TikToker highthai posted a video captioned "FAKE MONEY IN A PANARAMIC?!?! Nah you gon have to catch this fade after work #delta this is y’all appreciation? Oh lord." In the video, she can be seen holding up the cash and screaming "this is fake!". On the front, the words "motion picture copy money" can be seen on the notes, indicating that they are indeed fake.
@highthai FAKE MONEY IN A PANARAMIC?!?! Nah you gon have to catch this fade after work #delta ♬ original sound - user5990693340044
In a follow-up TikTok, highthai went on to clarify, "they handed the fake ass money because it’s for an office party to appreciate them, I guess so they can use it to win games or prizes." That indeed appears to be the case. In an email to The Daily Dot, Delta clarified that the fake money was a "one-off" as part of the company's Employee Appreciation Day. They added, "Delta employees received $1,250 paid via direct deposit yesterday, and employees across the world at our hundreds of airport locations took a few minutes during the day to celebrate." In a comment, highthai said her mother only received $400.
It's unclear where in Delta highthai's mother works, but employees all over the nation were reportedly engaged in celebrations of varying kinds for the occasion. It also announced payouts of $1,250 per person, with those who joined mid-year or later receiving $625 as part of the occasion. The company did not address where the fake money came from, or what was behind the thinking of giving it to employees, especially to those like highthai's mother, who couldn't attend the celebrations as she was working. However, based off some comments on the videos, it appears to have originated from a breakroom game.
However, even with the explanation, many TikTok users didn't seem to be happy with Delta. "I would go to the party during my shift just to beat the f--k out of whoever had this idea!" one person commented. Another said, "This is a company why they acting like a 5th grade teacher." A third user said, "I feel like this is so tone-deaf people are struggling to pay rent still and they playin with emotions." Reactions to her first video included, "WHAT?!?!? Excuse me?!?! I’m suing for emotional damage," "Delta has no shame," and "Their bonus would have been me shoving that money where it belongs."
Some people also claimed it was illegal to hand out fake money, but under federal law, possessing is not illegal. It is only a felony offense when someone tries to use the cash because fake money is made to be used - but only in movies.