Stingy Scrooges

rubber_chicken

I've been at my company for 5 years.  The first year I was here, they gave everyone a $500 Christmas bonus.  Insane, right?! 

The second year, it was $300.

The third year, it was $150.

Last year, it was $125.

And this year...it's apparently nothing. 

I know we shouldn't EXPECT a bonus, but lets be real, past behavior sets current expectations.  I was hoping for $50 or $75. 

jf198400

You'll love this story. I've only worked at one job where I ever got a bonus. I started at the company in November so they gave me a $200 bonus, but b/c I have my W2 set to withhold additional taxes, I got a bonus check for $0. Yes zero. Bah humbug.

rubber_chicken

PrivacyWanted said:

That sucks. At my soon-to-be-former firm last year the managing partner spent all of early Dec bragging about the new Harley he bought. And the new truck. bonuses were usually given Christmas Eve. No bonuses at all were given. Partner didn't even bother to come in and explain after we'd gotten bonuses every other year

Ugh, execs can be so tone deaf.  There's a bigwig here who never STFU about his cars.  He collects them or something.  Dude, half the people in the building are hourly, maybe you could save the enthusiasm for your car club or whatever it is @ssholes like you do on the weekends.

kristennd

The employees at DH's place of work get $20.

We get zero.

Katie829

Our job doesn't give bonuses and raises have been on hold for 4 years.

Virgo17

I work for the state, so no bonuses here.  We are getting cost of living raises in January...first one in 4 years.

VitaLuna

We get a $5 Starbucks card.

mittensonkittens

I work for the government, so nothing here. But I was a waitress in high school, and my first Christmas there we all got a cash bonus. The next year we got key chains and sweatshirts with the restaurant's name on them. Um, thanks.

jbatch

I give bonuses to my staff(1 weeks pay) but I am church staff. (I run the church daycare, 100 kids 22 staff) but the church staff does not get bonuses due to financial reasons so I do not get a bonus.

DTNZ4Ever

I haven't had a raise in 5 years and I got that raise since I became fully licensed so I bill at a higher rate. We never get bonuses or cost of living increases.

sugarbear0524

The president of the small university where I used to work had the staff over to his house for an informal come and go reception at Christmas. He bragged the entire time about his art collection, travels, etc. and did quite a bit of name dropping. The staff was unimpressed and peeved--we had all taken pay cuts that year.Who cares that you know famous people, have expensive art, and are taking all these vacations? Many of us in the room were trying to figure out how to make ends meet after the pay cut. Poor taste.

thatgirlnicki

I haven't received a bonus since my first job in high school. My company gives us a $25 shoprite gift card.  Also, because we are state contracted and the state won't give us a COL increase, we haven't had a raise in 5 years.  Sounds like they were generous in the past, but maybe are falling on hard times?  I'm thankful to have a job, but, then again, my bosses aren't going around showing off their wealth like some of yours. 

sugarbear0524

Duplicate...sorry

kmh2201

At my last company, we didn't get Christmas bonuses, but employees were eligible to receive a small bonus  (up to $500) based on company performance.  Last fiscal year (FY end is June 30, bonuses are paid in September), the company didn't meet target, but yet the management bonus paid above target due to some executive-directed number fudging.  But did they do the same for employees?  Nope, we got target.  I got $250, most of which went to the government, and some to my retirement savings.  Meanwhile, executives were calling our office non-stop (I worked in the area of HR responsible for calculating bonuses) wanting their checks so they could go buy/pay off their new cars, boats, etc.  The people who could really use the money were ignored as usual.  I wish execs would get their heads out of their butts and realize that for the most part, the company runs because of all the worker bees, not because of the kings in the castle.

daisy662

Until you are in an executive level position, it is difficult to determine or understand why decisions are made sometimes. While it is crummy that some pp's have had bosses who flaunt their good fortune and I don't agree with not explaining the why's behind decisions to not pay bonuses that have been paid in years past, a bonus is just that. A bonus... It is not a guarantee. And for those who think executives just sit around not impacting the bottom line, well, that just is simply not accurate.

PunkyBooster

I want a bonus.

PunkyBooster

K3am said:

Our CEO has stood up in an all hands staff meeting (150+ people) and commiserated with us about not getting a bonus for the year - including that none of the executive team were getting any bonus checks either.

What he failed to remember is the fact that we're a public company, and executive comp is a reportable event. And no, they didn't get any 'bonus checks', but each exec did get the equivalent to ~$250-300k of stock grants, at a time when our stock was in the gutter (~$5/share), when it usually trades at ~$20/share. 

Needless to say, he didn't generate any goodwill among those of us who actually keep up to date with our company's happenings...

I'm starting to wonder if you aren't at my old company. Except their stock is higher.

mrsshawnavanb

My company throws a Christmas party with free dinner, booze and cab fare $50. I chose not to go because I would rather not spend any more time than required with these people. DH's company takes them all out for a BUFFET lunch and gives them a box of Hersheys chocolates. LOL

sdlaura

I'm feeling very grateful to my firm right now - even though we had a recent revenue loss and the owners are taking pay cuts, they still gave out small year-end bonuses to the staff. 

LoCarb

I understand your disappointment. Hopefully, the company makes it up to you in non monetary ways.

Sarafar4

My sister just told us she received an email from the top congratulating everyone on End of the year raises. She was surprised but very happy. Then, like two days later, on Christmas Eve, got another email saying it was a mistake and should have only been sent to certain people in the company! She said it took all her strength not march into her boss's office and tell her just how she felt! Outrageous!

groovygrl

amy052006 said:

I think "just being thankful for a bonus" is horseshit.

DH's company has a complex bonus structure tied to annual reviews that helps make their total compensation package slightly better than competitive in this market. Luckily, the company's performance has been great, as has DH's performance so it's been a no-issue.

But if those bonuses suddenly disappeared, and on top of that top management was unprofessional with regards to discussions about money and their own bonuses, people wouldn't just suck it and be thankful they got a Starbucks gift card and a thank you.  They'd must likely start to walk, and with good reason.

Of course, not every industry/firm/company is structured that way. But some are, and not everyone is obligated to be just thankful they have a job.  

I'm pretty sure last year's $125 was not something that is built into her total compensation package, it is clearly not an industry where annual bonus is considered part of annual pay when accepting/negotiating jobs/salaries & expected/relied upon.  OPs is a totally different situation, it just a nice thing for the company to do, I would assume not a part of industry standards where the OP works, and for most of the ppl who said they don't get a bonus or are thankful to have a job, I am sure it is not part of their industry either. MH also works in an industry with large expected bonuses and I work in a zero bonus industry- I realize that I won't get one, and he would be seriously affected/annoyed if he suddenly got none with no explanation since it is an expectation in his field & assumed to be part of total comp. It's not the same thing.