The indoor-farming company AppHarvest’s first two years as a public company have gone dismally, with losses totaling $375 million and the stock price falling to 35 cents.

So this might seem like an odd time for the board to vote to give itself a nice raise and to dole out nearly $2.5 million in special bonuses for four senior executives. The special-payout program unveiled in July by Morehead, Kentucky-based AppHarvest isn’t unusual—companies on the ropes often do this, saying it prevents a hemorrhaging of talent—but the negative headlines it generated across that state should serve as cautionary tale for companies trying to navigate treacherous times with minimal reputational damage. READ MORE