Delta gave its employees 2 months of extra pay. Here's why that's good business

Delta Air Lines had a very good year last year. Instead of just verbally thanking its employees for the company's strong performance, it announced it would pay them $1.6 billion in profit-sharing bonuses. That means every eligible employee will receive a check next month for 16.6% of their annual salary, which is the equivalent of an additional two months' pay. "Delta would be nothing without our 90,000 people. They deserve all the credit," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on LinkedIn. The profit payout to employees for 2019 is a record amount. It is also the sixth year in a row that the company has paid out more than $1 billion to workers, a Delta spokesperson said. The profit-sharing plan started in 2012 following Delta's merger with Northwest. The company's profit-sharing bonus is on top of all the other financial benefits it normally provides employees, such as a 401(k) match and other bonus programs for rank-and-file workers, according to the spokesperson.