Imagine the day when your employer finally recognizes your effort in cold, hard cash.  The employee's of Thompson- McCully Corporation, a road construction business based in Michigan, woke up to this realization when their boss, Bob Thompson, sold the company and gave almost a third of the proceeds (128 million dollars) to his 550 employees.  This act of generosity instantly produced 80 new millionaires and set an example for the rest of the world to follow.

Although Bob Thompson had very little to say following his generosity, what he did say tells the entire story:  "People work exceedingly hard for us.  It's a tough business and this is a demanding company.  We're dependent on people, so it would just not be fair not to do it.  They've (the employees) allowed me to live the way I want to live."

Hopefully this act of amazing generosity will not be lost on the remaining CEO's in America.  While you are receiving record bonuses, remember that your success is directly related to the hard effort and dedication of your workers.

Adapted from a September 12, 1999, article by Sharon Cohen in The Associated Press.