Christmas bonuses

over the past decade or so, we've transitioned from Christmas bonuses into year-end performance bonuses. Each billing cycle, the owner sets aside an amount of money of the receivables based on how profitable the company is. At the end of the year, the bonus pool is divided among the employees based on longevity and performance. In good years, the bonuses can run into the thousands, and encourage the employees to give their most to the company. In bad years, they might be a few hundred dollar, but reminds the employees that the company is still grateful for their work.

As far as specific $$ amounts, I think the best bonus I ever received was about 15% of my annual salary (we had a really good year that year), with 3-5% being more typical.

I'm lucky to have a very generous employer - we get a $25 grocery voucher

Not enough information about your whole benefit package to make a clear statement. I would say that your chainman would likely be happier to get a $500 bonus than a PLS would be to get $1000.

Some management advise says to performance bonus everybody at the same rate to encourage teamwork. That works if you are willing and able to terminate chronic under performers.

I just got a $1000 bonus, which turned into a check for $586 after the feds and state took there cut. That was nice but it won't really affect my motivation during the coming year. This company also has a profit sharing plan, which will go to the 401k, and should be much more significant this year. I should say that this company pays slightly in the low range but has a good record of profit sharing and other benefits.

Years ago (1978) we had a great year where I worked. We all got a "13th. month" salary out of the clear blue (I had received $200 the year before).

I've tried to match that over the years with my employees, but usually fall a little short. $250 for every year of work is a good start.

BTW - My bonuses are "post" taxes...so if they get a $1000 Christmas bonus, that's what the check is written for. It drives my CPA crazy to have to "back into" the gross amounts.

The bonuses that I have appreciated the most are smaller tokens such as "skate and call it eight" instead of heading back out to field, or a few hundred dollars to recognize a solid performance on a specific job, extra money the Monday before thanksgiving during a lean year to help with groceries and the like. I have only seen this at smaller shops and imagine it would be harder to manage and quantify for bigger shops or employees that look at bonuses as a real part of their compensation package.

Once the size of the bonus gets substantial I think that straight percentages that are explained in writing are the best policy.

I have a family member in another industry who is rewarded with paid time off, which I think is pretty neat.

Last Christmas (first at present company), I got $500 cash. These days, many stores are reluctant to take $50 bills. I thought that was pretty generous as I had been at the job less than a year.

Other benefits include catered party at one of the bosses houses (trade houses for party each year). Went last year, won't be going again.

There was a company outing to a "local" amusement park over the summer. Had no desire to go.

Thanksgiving turkeys provided free to employees.

My employer has been very generous to me. Last year he gave me a $5000 bonus. I'm not expecting that much this year as we weren't as busy this past year.

Before working here, I might of got a $25 gift certificate for groceries. My first year out of college, I got a $100 bonus, and then they stopped handing out bonuses. It was the most I ever got until I hooked up with this company.

I worked for a Kenner Louisiana firm in the mid 90's. A very unusual place to work. The management was very odd. And the field group even odder. Just after Thanksgiving the long time employees started asking the newer hires how much we thought our Christmas Bonuses were going to be. This went on every morning, and every evening. The closer to Christmas the worse it got. I asked a gent who worked as a designer from the beginning of the company. This whole bunch came from another company to start this firm. They had been together for a long time. When I asked the designer, he stopped working, turned toward me and said, "We've never got a bonus ever. They start that crap every year, year after year! By the time Christmas gets here, they'll get drunk and there will be a mass riot in the parking lot. For the sake of it, get your check and get out of here!" It happened like he said. The old timers on the field crews came in lit! I got my check alright! Along with my walking papers! Leaving out of there, they were cursing and chanting wildly! All I was worried about was telling my wife I had to look for another job.

I remember a PC asking us crewmen if we wanted 'Ham' or 'Turkey' for Christmas..

Either way it turned out a package of lunch meat...

DDSM:beer::beer:

I believe the most we've gotten in the time I've been at my current employer is $250.
Several years we got nothing other than a free lunch and a pep talk.
I've never expected anything as far as a bonus so anything at all is a plus for me.

My bonus is 4 hours of so-called ITO (informal time off). The Governor has ordered it every year since I started the State job in 12/2000. That's okay though, in a government job your salary is what you get.

Everyone in our company gets a crisp $100 bill in a card. Kinda of strange when you consider that some of our senior engineers are making around $200,000/year and bringing much more than that into the company. If the take home bonus is less than $500, you should just give them an extra couple of paid days over the holidays.

Man, I was in such a good mood 'till I read this thread. I was pretty much accustomed to 1 or more weeks pay with my prior employers so long as things were going well, then I got this otherwise great job with a decent benefits package fully paid medical, dental, vision, 10K life, match on 401k contributions up to 3%, 1 week vacation 1st year, 2 weeks 2-5 years, 3 weeks thereafter. Downside?...you guessed it $25 gift card at Christmas. Oh well this too shall pass.

Had an employer once where it appeared that you got two weeks extra pay around Christmas time. Actually, less than nothing. Their trick was to ask you during the interview process if you would come to work for them for $XX,XXX per year. You, of course, agreed. So they took that number and divided it by 54 to get your weekly check amount. Not 52. So, there really was no bonus. And, they paid you less than expected for the first 52 weeks then handed you the missing money at the end of the year. That was in the days where a home loan might be 14 percent, so you were really getting screwed. They made out like bandits on anyone who left, for any reason, prior to that magic day in December.

So, I do not look at bonuses as being counted as expected income. They are a way to hold off on paying the help correctly until a conveniently scheduled time, if ever.