Company offers raises to employees who get tattooed with its logo

A New York real estate company is rewarding employees who make a very personal -- and permanent -- display of their loyalty to the firm.

The company, Rapid Realty, is offering its employees a 15% pay raise if they get the company’s logo tattooed on their body.

The branding effort began when one employee, acting on his own, got a tattoo showing the firm’s double-R logo, Anthony Lolli, the company’s owner, told WCBS in New York.

Ten craziest excuses employees have used to call in sick

“So he calls me up and says ‘Hey, Anthony, I’m getting a logo on me.’ I show up at the shop, and I’m like, this is cool, how can I repay you?”

Other employees followed suit. About 40 have taken the plunge, WCBS reported.

Brooke Koropatnick discreetly tattooed the logo behind her ear.

“I had a paycheck coming in that was a substantial amount difference, so it was nice,” she told the station.

Others had the logo placed more prominently: on biceps, for example. One got his on the back of his calf.

There are no size restrictions and employees can have their ink etched anywhere on their bodies.

On its Facebook page, Rapid Realty came under criticism by some who saw the branding effort as tacky.

“Dehumanizing,” one commenter wrote. “I would NEVER use this company.”

ALSO:

Wine prices rising in restaurants, report says

Apartment rents keep on rising in Los Angeles

Initial jobless claims fall to more than five-year low

ricardo.lopez@latimes.com