In 2015, Gravity Payments made headlines when CEO Dan Price promised that every employee would receive at least $70,000 in annual pay. Contrary to some of the dire analyst projections, the company continued to thrive, as Price emphasized community prosperity through collective action. So, when the company was facing the potential for major losses in revenue because of the pandemic, Price says they considered raising the company’s pricing rates. He said:

That would have given us an extra $2 million a month, which would have solved our financial crisis. Our employees unanimously rejected that idea and said they’d rather take the pain themselves in a pandemic rather than have any kind of insult or injury to the small businesses that rely on our services.

Instead, after meeting with the 185 employees in both Seattle and Boise, the solution emerged. Employees volunteered temporary pay cuts, ranging from 5% for some to 100% for others. With the addition of a federal payroll protection loan, the temporary pay cuts made it possible for Gravity Payments to weather the pandemic without making any layoffs, a major accomplishment when compared to other firms of similar size and scope.

Price said, “I’m so proud of my team. I’m genuinely shocked by their willingness to sacrifice in so many ways and to help so many small businesses and get us to a place where we’re going to be around for a long time.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

In times of crisis, we model the love of Jesus through self-sacrifice and doing what's best for the community at large.