When an employer, employee, or someone else believes that an employee's primary duty is to the employer; above any duty to anyone else--and that employee ought to be thankful for having a job, no matter how bad the pay or working conditions are.  Named after the character Bob Cratchett in the novel ''A Christmas Carol'' (AchristmasCarolBook) by CharlesDickens, who put up with all sorts of abuse (and a slave-wage) from his employer EbenezerScrooge and was generally quite happy about it.  In one scene in the novel (over a meager Christmas party and no bonuses), offered a prayer for Scrooge as the "founder of our feast"--which sent Mrs. Cratchett into a tizzy-fit.