'Leave pity city,' MillerKnoll CEO tells staff who asked whether they'd lose bonuses

MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen has come under fire on social media for telling employees to stop asking about the possibility of losing their bonuses. (Screenshot by NPR/YouTube)

The CEO of an office furniture giant landed at the center of a social media storm this week after she told her staff to focus on being better employees instead of asking whether they'd lose their bonuses.

The leaked comments from MillerKnoll's Andi Owen are sparking debate about workplace attitudes in the face of greater economic uncertainty and whether CEOs are out of touch with their staffs.