The Container Store has always prided itself on being an employee-first kind of company. So when the recession hit, they refused to take the expedient route and lay off employees. But they had to do something. As they presented the plan to freeze salaries and 401(k) matches for an undetermined time period, leadership wasn’t sure what to expect in response. They hoped their people would be understanding and agree that it was better that they should all share the hardship than ask a few to suffer more.
