TLDR at the bottom.
This is a new account because I don’t want this story associated with my “real” account.
Many years ago, I started a new job at a very well-known, very well-respected organization. They underpay their employees because “you get the prestige of the name.” Most of us who have worked there realize that their reputation increases exponentially the further away you are from their main office.
About a week after I started working there, management handed out surveys on job satisfaction. I dutifully filled mine out and didn’t have any complaints. Of course, it was my first job out of school, so I was happy to be working.
A couple of months later, management set up a meeting to review the results (they actually had a lot of meetings because this place had 10s of thousands of employees and ran 24 hours/day.)
At the meeting I attended, three or four members of management came in. They set out a tray of donuts and happily chatted with the employees while IT set up the computer so management could show a Powerpoint presentation. After about 30 minutes, they were finally set up. The manager starting the presentation put up the first slide and said something to the effect of before we start, I want you all to know that not one employee said they were unhappy because of their salary. I raised my hand, and this was the conversation that followed:
Me: are these the results from the survey you handed out about two months ago?
Management: yes
Me: you mean the multiple-choice survey?
Management: yes
Me: the multiple choice survey that did not have salary as a choice?
Management: closed the computer and walked out without saying a word.
Me: hmmm, I guess it was.
TLDR: management handed out a multiple-choice survey on employee satisfaction. Salary was not a choice as to why people were unhappy. Management attempted to say nobody said they were unhappy because of money. I pointed out the above, and management walked out of the meeting.