Whole Foods

John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods
 has capped the salary of the highest paid employee to
19 times what the average employee makes.  
Now remember that CEO’s in Canada make 240 times 
what the average worker makes. 
In the US it’s more like 430 times the average worker’s salary.
 In addition, the top 16 executives at Whole Foods 
receive only 7 % of the stock options, 
while most companies in the US, anyway, 
offer their top 5 executives 75% of the company’s stock options.
 Mackey also recently announced the following startling news
 to his employees:

“The tremendous success of Whole Foods Market 
has provided me with far more money than I ever dreamed I'd have 
and far more than is necessary for either my financial security or personal happiness.... 
I am now 53 years old and I have reached 
a place in my life where I no longer want to work for money, 
but simply for the joy of the work itself and to better answer the call 
to service that I feel so clearly in my own heart. 
Beginning on January 1, 2007, my salary will be reduced to $1, 
and I will no longer take any other cash compensation.... 
The intention of the board of directors is for Whole Foods Market
 to donate all of the future stock options I would be eligible to receive to our two company foundations.

One other important item to communicate to you is, 
in light of my decision to forego any future [pay],
our board of directors has decided that Whole Foods Market 
will contribute $100,000 annually to a new
 Global Team Member Emergency Fund. 
This money will be distributed to team members 
throughout the company based on need.... 
The first $100,000 will be deposited on January 1, 2007and requests will be considered after that date.

This “Sacred Story” was submitted by Rabbi Suzanne Singer of Los Angeles and is a reprint from the Whole Foods website, used with their permission.