Retention Bonuses: American International Group
American International Group (AIG) has been kept afloat by more than $170 billion in federal assistance since September 2008. That works out to about $1,500 for every household in the nation. But the New York-based giant insurer that nearly brought down the global financial system paid out more than $500 million in salaries and bonuses to hundreds of senior employees, even as it was being bailed out by the government.

Pay for Failure: Bank of America Corp.
The bank’s board of directors subscribes to a philosophy that rewards executives regardless of performance. Experts say this practice encouraged CEO Ken Lewis to make risky acquisitions of such troubled financial companies as Merrill Lynch and Countrywide Financial. New York Times reporter Gretchen Morgensen says: “Many investors say the whole pay-for-performance model is a mirage.”

Turbo-Charged Pension Plan: Deere & Co.
Deere & Co. workers and pensioners have good reason to fret over their retirement. Deere expects to earn 8.3 percent on its pension plan investments in fiscal 2009, but the worst stock market decline since 1929 makes that highly unlikely, jeopardizing the company’s $683 million pension surplus. Overall, the nation’s pension funds lost roughly $1 trillion in assets by last summer alone. But CEO Robert Lane’s retirement income is secure: the value of his total pension benefits increased $5.5 million in fiscal 2008 to $22.5 million—some $1.6 million annually. Lane and other senior executives participate in not one but three different pension plans.

Job Security for the CEO, Insecurity for Workers: FedEx Corp.
Frederick Smith, the chairman, president and chief executive officer, opposes unionization and the Employee Free Choice Act. So while Smith receives a generous salary, assurance of a severance if the company gets bought, perquisites and a traditional pension—FedEx workers can only dream about benefits. FedEx Ground classifies drivers as independent contractors, so it doesn’t have to provide them with basic benefits, such as overtime pay or expense reimbursements. FedEx Ground drivers also are required to pay for their own delivery trucks, as well as for the insurance, repairs, gas and tires for their jobs. By arguing that the drivers are independent contractors, not employees, FedEx maintains they can’t unionize.

Lavish Perquisites: Occidental Petroleum Corp.
While most working Americans struggle to file their federal tax returns by April 15, that’s one thing Ray Irani, chief of Occidental Petroleum, doesn’t need to worry about. In 2008, the company provided Irani with more than $400,000 in tax preparation and financial planning services. That’s nearly eight times the $50,233 median U.S. household income in 2007, and more than the $400,000 salary of the president of the United States.

‘Golden Coffin’ Death Benefits: Shaw Group
Americans have lost nearly one-fifth of their household wealth in the past year, leaving many wondering about the legacy they will leave their children. But James Bernhard’s heirs are well taken care of. When the founding chairman, president and chief executive officer of the Shaw Group dies, the Baton Rouge, La.-construction giant will pay more than $40 million to his heirs through “golden coffin” benefits, including pay, stock awards, life insurance and health benefits.

‘Super-Sized’ Stock Options: SunTrust Banks
The banking company that received $4.9 billion from the TARP bailout fund wants shareholders to approve a mega-grant of $7.7 million in stock options for James Wells, its chairman and chief executive officer, even as investors have lost billions of dollars.

Moving the Performance Goalposts: Toll Brothers
The nation’s largest luxury home builder benefited from the housing bubble. Now, thanks to a tax break in the proposed federal budget, it could collect billions of dollars more by offsetting recent tax losses with taxable profits earned in previous years. As the housing market cratered in 2007 and it became clear that Robert Toll, the founding chairman and chief executive officer, would not qualify for a bonus under the existing plan, the company decided to move the performance goalposts. Instead of linking Toll’s bonus to the company’s net income, the new plan is tied to a percentage of the company’s income before taxes and bonus, revenues of at least $1.5 billion and several squishy factors such as “management enhancement and efficiencies and financial market visibility and access.”

‘Golden Parachute’ Severance Benefits: Tyson Foods
Workers laid off by companies in these tough economic times are lucky if they receive more than their last paycheck and their legal right to extend health care benefits they pay for, but chief executive officers at many of America’s largest companies often receive a “golden parachute,” or a generous severance package, when they depart. Richard L. Bond, president and top executive of Tyson Foods Inc. until Jan. 5, stood to collect more than $14 million in severance.

Executive Physicals: Wal-Mart Stores
Employees of the world’s largest retailer have a strong incentive to stay healthy. Only 48 percent of Wal-Mart workers were enrolled in Wal-Mart’s health care plan for its employees, according to an internal company memo, compared with 68 percent for most national employers. Some 46 percent of Wal-Mart employees’ children were either on Medicaid or uninsured. To put that in perspective, 11 percent of children in America were uninsured in the Unitd States in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the CEO of Wal-Mart and top executives receive an annual “senior executive physical” examination paid for by the company.