Bonuses (and the like) seem very different than piece work, which the author conflates. I worked for a few years doing piecework and the direct correlation between my productivity and my income was perfect as far as I’m concerned. I became better in every way - faster, better quality, more sensitive to the owner outcomes (profit).

In my subsequent 25+ years working in software (QA, Developer, Architect, Executive) the closest thing I’ve found is ownership participation (Options, ESSOP, etc.) which is too often a bad deal for employees because of various investor hijinks but generally helpful in creating alignment in both growth and efficiency. I’d prefer a bonus calculated based on the sum of growth and margin since it likewise creates alignment on the things that matter (in capitalism) but it’s very rare to find others that agree and support such a program at the investor/owner level.