August 30, 2001

11:00 AM

Don't register for contests at work?Man wins new BMW...for his employers. While this case actually makes sense, i could see situations where employees could win prizes on company time and have a problem. I would be So bummed out.
posted by th3ph17 (12 comments total)

Hey, that's nothing! How 'bout getting a hole-in-one worth $1 million, and then having to give it all away because your employer has rules preventing you from receiving gifts while acting "on behalf of the company."
posted by pardonyou? at 11:12 AM on August 30, 2001

Reminds me of this story I heard today on the radio.
posted by perplexed at 11:15 AM on August 30, 2001

Regarding the articles about the same GM employee: I think the fact that GM company was a sponsor was probably the main reason he couldn't accept the prize. That usually the first rule of any content: Employees and their family are not eligible.
posted by jennak at 11:18 AM on August 30, 2001

Okay, I suck for not only posting the same link, but not paying attention to the preview page.

I think a vice-president at GM isn't sweating the loss of a million dollars.
posted by perplexed at 11:23 AM on August 30, 2001

most golfers i know would be happy JUST with the hole in one. Think of the Story he has now.
posted by th3ph17 at 11:28 AM on August 30, 2001

I'm not sure what my former employer would do with the TiVo I won, while I was on their clock... but if none of you tell them, I won't.
posted by smcbride at 11:28 AM on August 30, 2001

This is actually a pretty refreshing story. Kudos to the dude for not being upset by it -- most people in this country would've tried to sue their employer.
posted by moses at 12:01 PM on August 30, 2001

I think it's pretty rotten.

How many people are going to be registering back-up software they've bought themselves? The prize is obviously aimed at the employee, not the company.

Just because it was during work hours, they don't own his soul. If he works for a 1/3 of the day they don't own 1/3 of his interest on any savings he has. What if someone's out on business and they stop and buy a lottery ticket - are they buying it for their company? Why is it so different if it's via computer - he wasn't even surfing at random...

If I won a prize like that where I work now and they claimed it, I'd leave - not because of the value, but because I don't think they're being fair. It's pretty cheap behaviour taking it off him.
posted by andrew cooke at 12:25 PM on August 30, 2001

most golfers i know would be happy JUST with the hole in one. Think of the Story he has now.

F' that. I'll take the money.

Just because it was during work hours, they don't own his soul.

No, but they do own the software he registered. This wasn't a contest open to the general public. You needed to buy the software to win the prize ("No purchase necessary" laws aside). Sure, it's shitty, and if I were running the show I'd have given him the car, but it's not the same as buying a lottery ticket on your lunch hour.
posted by jpoulos at 12:37 PM on August 30, 2001

my thinking is that if it was a pop-up ad from some website, the car should be his, and that if it was an offer specifically for the registration holder it belongs to the school district. I suppose this type of thing needs to be written into employee handbooks or something?
posted by th3ph17 at 12:38 PM on August 30, 2001

Maybe Chandra Leavy won an 18 month mystery cruise.
posted by daragh at 1:08 PM on August 30, 2001

Who's Chandra Levy?
posted by jpoulos at 1:39 PM on August 30, 2001