Company-wide email: “We’ve had our best year ever and it’s all thanks to YOU!”

Me: “Great. Can I have a raise?”

Company: “Oh, we can’t afford THAT.”

Like VW is paying out 4.5 billion € in dividends, while telling employees they have to cut wages. They played it clever by announcing huge layoffs, that can be prevented by cutting the wages now. But the Porsche-Piech family is a few billions richer now and will be a few billions richer at the end of the year.

On the plus side, real estate prices will likely continue to fall in the region.