Rumour on the Streets?

Ive heard from some people that towards the end of your contract Cp will try to find a way to fire you so they dont have to give you your bonus...is this at all true?? Just curious....still really pumped to work there either way!

Amanda

2003- Cart Girl :-)

Not true at all. It just seems that way to the poeple who get fired.Cedar Point has a point system for discipline so usaly you get a couple of chance except for drugs that is automatic. Do you think any one would return to cp if this was true.

Very good point...i've just heard it from a few people and wanted to check with some people that would know.

Umm supposedly it's not true. But they really do a lot of firing towards the end of the season. Two reasons. It's not because CP wants to keep your bonus it's because, 1) by the end of the season a lot of people are on their final warning, and 2) employees get tired and don't feel like working as hard.

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02 & '03

Brent's take on that rumor is the same opinion I have... It's another famous CP employee urban legend. Trust me -- for the amount of hours I put in the past two summers (*extra hours fiend*), if CP was really out to get bonuses, I'd be one of the first ones out the door. Be confident that if you do your best work and follow the rules (which I'm sure you'll do!) you won't have anything to worry about! ^_^

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~Lee~

Group Sales ATL '01
Group Sales TL '02
Park Admissions Supervisor '03
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"The greatest leaders don't take credit for their actions; they don't have to."

I think that the people that say that they do fire alot of people so they don't get the bonus are the same people that are getting fired because they weren't doing there best work and following the rules. So they get all mad at Cedar Point and try to spread nasty rumors at Cedar Point in attempt to get back at the park.

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Merchandise - 2003

Go me 200th post.

There has actually been people that I know of that had VERY good reasons for being fired, but they were two days away from getting their bonus, so CP kept them on, sure he got kind of crap jobs, but I think they didn't want it to seem like they fired them so they wouldn't have to pay out the bonus. But if you actually read your contract it says at the end you will be CONSIDERED for your bonus.. so technically they don't have to give it to you..

Rin that's interesting, I just checked my contract on that one, didn't remember reading that the first time. Which leads to a question.....Does anyone know of a person not recieving their bonus or not getting the full amount?? And another thing, My contract says $6.25/ hr BONUS $1.00. Couldn't that mean my bonus is only gonna be one dollar? Is everyone else's contract printed like that???

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Thunder Canyon 2003

Reaching 100 Post! Wow!!

If you get your bonus you get $1 for each hour worked.

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Merchandise - 2003

Amanda: CP takes care of it's people. So the simple answer is "no, not at all."

Yay! I figured they did but i was hearin the rumours and was curious! thanks

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Amanda
2003- Cart Girl :-)

cedar point doesnt do that. the reason people get fired at the end is because they: A. start getting complacent and dont try as hard and they make mistakes that way

B. people start thinking that cedar point isnt enforcing their rules during the bonus and halloweekends

C. people have gotten warnings throughout the year and they tended to add up until management isnt given much of a choice but to fire them...they are usually very willing to work with you to find a place that your happy...because happy workers make the guests happy too.

D. That bonus is a drop in the bucket to them. 40 dollars to enter the park and most employees end up with maybe 1000 dollar bonus before taxes and thats being conservative means that only 25 people have to enter the park....or at eight dollars to park only 125 people have to park per person lol that is not even including the food sold in the park...so yeah the fire you to not pay your bonus is kinda a rediculous urban legend.

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Cedar Creek Trading Co. 1999
MF 2002
Sky Ride ATL 2003

what's kinda stupid is...their gross income is almost equal to expenses....weird...yeah you heard me right...CP usually breaks even or a little above...despite the millions of people who visit and re-visit the point every year, expensive food, and expensive parking.

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we're gonna eat a dolphin!
no we're going to pet a dolphin.
oh yeah...
Snake River Falls 03 (newbie)

Ummm, no. I'm no financial expert, but CP is not by any means a "break even" park. For 2002, Cedar Fair's net revenues were $502.9 million including $252.1 million for admissions, $201.1 million for food, merchandise and games, and $49.7 million for accomodations and other. Their operating costs were $332.8 million. Subtract the second from the first to get an Adjusted EBITDA of $170.1 million. This is roughly a 33.8% profit margin which is pretty good.

I realize that this is Cedar Fair company wide and not just CP, but I'd be willing to bet that CP's profit margin is as high and probably even higher than the rest of the chain.

As for people being fired so CP can save the bonus money, I will say that I believe it to be false. Although I will say that CP is somewhat inconsistent when it comes to firing people, I think it is just this way throughout the season and not specifically at the end. What I mean is that I've seen people get chance after chance after chance and not get fired while someone else will screw up once or twice and be gone.

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew
2003 Magnum Crew

*** This post was edited by MDOmnis 4/8/2003 6:47:32 PM ***

Thanks Matt, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed that.

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02 & '03

Nice post Matt.

If you really wanted to get an early start on life you'd save a little and buy a couple of units. They're up to $1.78 now yearly distribution per unit. That's unheard of in this economy.

Break even my ass. Read the balance sheet.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"The world rotates to The Ultra-Heavy Beat!" - KMFDM

As one of the people who was responsible for helping to make the "fire" decision I will say that, at least in Traffic, they don't fire people based on when they get their bonus, it is ALWAYS based on repeated things they have done. We have even transfered people out who were absolutely horrible, for the sole purpose of helping them complete their contract. That could be just Traffic though and I can't speak for the rest but I know a bunch of Managers in Park Op and I seriously doubt they are any different. Thanks, keep the questions coming if you have them.

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Traffic Team Leader 2000
Traffic / Tolls Supervisor 2001
Traffic / Tolls Supervisor 2003
*** This post was edited by JohnDubya 4/9/2003 1:51:38 PM ***

Jeff..

Are you referring to Units of FUN? I was thinking about investing some of my money with FUN, not sure yet.

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I fool so feelish...

FUN is increasingly growing, i'm in Senior Econ now researching stocks of my choice... and man, FUN is ALWAYS growing, they're up over .50 per share a week it seems.

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White Water Landing '03