Do you get a Christmas bonus?

“I'm sure most all normal people in the normal world do. Where I work, we don't. One woman was especially peeved to see that her daughter, who works part-time at a convenience store, got $300.

(So, you can send your dollars to the "Poor lizs hasn't had a Christmas bonus in five years/We're gonna make up for that" account.... care of.. blah blah blah... yadda yadda yadda)

lol

BUT SERIOUSLY, IT SUCKS! ;-)”

“I get my bonus in July after our fiscal year end.”

“I'm a contractor we get a paycheck for hours worked.”

“My wife gets payed about 25% less than me but gets a large Christmas bonus every year. Her company also gives them 3 days off paid for the holiday. My company only gives us Christmas day off (Sunday this year) and there is no bonus.

Honestly, no one is entitled to a bonus. Unless it is part of your compensation (as my wife's is) it is a gift. I don't think anyone should expect a gift from there employer.

A bonus is a nice way for an employer to say thanks and I would love to get one. I used to get them when I worked retail, but I wouldn't go back to that.

Where do I sent the money? Is it tax deductable?
last edited: 12/09/05 9:10:35 AM”

“Nope.
Boo Hoo Hoo, lizs is saying I'm not 'normal'.”

“Hopefully. We have gotten them since I started in 2000. Last year was around 25%.

I did get a good bonus from one of our clients. Pretty much unheard of, but he was so pleased with my work he gave everyone in our company one. Mine was the largest at ~$4700. Next two were around $2000, then the rest (10) were probably less than $500.”

“Chief, a 25% bonus? One could buy a car or put a down payment on a house with that. How can a company afford that?”

“Our company pays bonuses if we have net profit at the end of the year, which we have for the past several years. Unlike many companies we generally pay a straight percentage of what you earned during the year, so, for example I get the same percentage as the administrative assistant. A lot of our competitors would give me a gigantic bonus and the admin person a pittance, and they look at us funny when we explain how we do it. I get more because my basic salary is higher, but not disproportionately more. One of the many things I like about where I work. Also, if you did something really special, you might get something extra, like about 4 people did this year (not me).”

“I guess I don't make as much as you, mjc.

I work for a Petroleum Consulting Company. Mostly do permitting for other companies.

Our largest client, whom I used to work for, produces around 1000 barrels of oil per day. You can do the math.

Unfortunately, they haven't had a very successful drilling program this year. Probably end up losing money.”

“We're looking at a bonus of 10% of our annual pay this year, but it doesn't come until the end of January. For the last 5 years we've gotten right around 10%, but it's based on goals that are set up at the beginning of the year and the goals have to be met for the bonus plan to be funded.”

“sorry to hear that, lizs! that's not a good feeling...maybe they just don't have the extra dough to give out?

our company's been doing well the past two years, and they always give bonuses that reflect their profits. we got them last month, AND i actually got a real raise (finally making a supervisor's salary after being one for like 2 years, LOL!). the company really is pretty fair though, they pay what they can afford to. and even though my raise was a long time coming, the department head made sure i got one with the money that was available to give out; my immediate boss didn't even get a raise, just a bonus.”

“Wow, I never got a bonus ever. Must make the holidays a lot more fun.
I do get to convert 24 hours of sick leave to comp time in January if I don't use more than 8 hours of sick time in the year. Gonna get it again this year.”

“haaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Our company pays bonuses based on whether your division made money or not. So even if the company didn't make money, if your division did, you get a bonus. How much it will be is based on your contract when you hire, and how well your division met its goals for the year. I got paid a bonus this year for last year's work. Not sure about this year yet, it's been kind of a down year, but this quarter might actually make up for it.


Actually answer the question, idiot...

This bonus isn't paid out until April, usually, so no, I don't get a Christmas bonus. We do get a holiday party that I don't usually go to though.
last edited: 12/09/05 10:02:44 AM”

“NO. And I HAVE to work christmas too >:(. It's not fair.

I have to work ALL the holidays. The excuse they give me: Senority. >:(

Come on, I dont mind working SOME holidays. But if you make me work thanksgiving, at least give me christmas eve or new years off! >:(”

“Bonus??? LOL! That's a good one!”

“No bonus for me, either. My bonus is actually working the holidays for triple time. And I do.”

“My bonus is I should be thankful I'm allowed to work here.
I am, LOL.”

“See... misery loves company. :-) LOL!

We have never had bonuses at the company I'm at now. We probably wouldn't have a Christmas party, either, if my co-worker -- who's been there 25 years -- didn't go ahead and get it all together. So... I guess the boss does spend around $18 on each of us.

This is one of those things where you find yourself rationalizing. I think, "Well, I can pretty much set my own schedule as long as things are covered (which also involves BEGGING to get others to cover things, which also does not seem right, as opposed to having a plan where things are covered as part of a work plan)."

Like I took off the Friday of Thanksgiving week and didn't even ask the boss. Then again, I work like a dog: Look at my Saturday schedule which I set up for myself, something that would probably wrangle time and a half -- if not more -- another place:

lizs' PHOTO SCHEDULE SATURDAY, DEC. 10 ­ a very busy day:

8:30 a.m. Breakfast with Santa, in town
9:30 a.m. Photos on a farm, 25 mile roundtrip
1:15 p.m. UMC craft sale; Santa at another town, 15-mile roundtrip
5-5:30-6-6:30 Live nativity, 15 miles roundtrip
Night Fezziwig Ball, yet another town, 20 miles roundtrip
And this is on the "potential" coverage list: Sometime between 7 a.m. and noon, a firemen training out of town, 40-mile roundtrip

This time of year is horribly busy. It would be really nice to see some thanks for work put in. And we don't get that, either verbally or in the form of a bonus.”

“Stovey, ya suck up!

LOL!! ;-P”

“My company hands out bonuses much the same way StoveStompers's does. However, since I quit full-time employment in August, I won't be getting one. I did get a small mid-year bonus before I left, though.

I've been told that if I put some hours down on the last week of the payroll year, I will be eligible for 2005 profit sharing, which goes directly into our 401K's. I'm part-time now (ok, just one day a week!) but my boss has agreed to find me some work that last week so I can get the profit sharing. That's doled out based on total hours worked, so it should still be a decent chunk of change!”

“Thanks, Lizs ;-)”

“A VP walked around the hospital yesterday handing out $50 bills to everyone for doing a good job. That was certainly a surprise!

We also get a gift certificate during the holidays. Usually it's a $25 gift card to Outback Steakhouse or WalMart.

My bonus this year is a promotion...

LET THE BUTT KISSING BEGIN !!”

“I got a ham last year.”

“Another place I used to work at gave us $25 gift certificates to a local grocery store. I used them to purchase Christmas hams or turkeys.”

“We don't get a bonus, we get a gift - usually a radio of some kind (hard to get a generic gift for 400 people). Supposedly we don't get money because they have to take taxes etc. out of it. I worked for one firm that gave one month salary as a bonus. Another gave us a Honeybaked ham. It varies.”

“$100 bucks as a personel gift from the owner our last day of work before christmas. Profit sharing week after,had a good year,should see 5 grand before taxes”

“All you bonus recievers are making me develope a sense of entitlement. Now, if only I wasn't the only one here today I would go complain.”

“I don't get a bonus, I give the bonus. We usually give around 10% depending on how the year went - just went through the process this morning. The partners(of which I am one) sit down and determine each employees bonus individually, based on how they contributed to the company profit margin. The amount we decide on is an after tax amount, so employees that have high withholding have an advantage.

We also have a Christmas dinner party for all employees and families.”

“What is this bonus you speak of?

I've never gotten a bonus, but I have recieved profit sharing at some employers in the past. Maybe the President of my company should give out big bonuses this year...Wait!...that's me.”

“Biblically, I get 1/10th of 1/10th, whatever that is.....and the fatty portions from the sacrifices :)”

“no, I think I got the opposite of a christmas bonus, I'm unemployed for two weeks on either side of christmas.”

“Yep, the entire year's profits from my one person company.”

“I get a performance bonus in June, after the fiscal year ends. It's usually around $1500. As for time off, I usually get around 10 days off over the holidays. Oh yeah, and they fed me prime rib for lunch yesterday. It was wonderful.”

“yea when i worked i always got some sort of monetary christmas bonus. also being a small business we had some very loyal customers who brought in presents for us. lets see, I've gotten earrings, candles, wine, fake wine, cookies, nuts, money, and other small gifts. no bonus this year, no job. hmmmmm, i think i will email my x-boss about my christmas bonus. i'll let ya know!”

“I just finished up my last day of work Thursday. I start my new job Monday.

My boss decided to keep my bonus, although everyone else got thiers a week ago. I'm not upset, even though I busted my ass and really helped out the bottom line.

Never expect anything from a boss who buys used lightbulbs and closes the office for holiday's without pay. Two years ago, she made T-giving and Christmas 4 day weekends so she could go out of town, everyone else just had to stay home without pay.

I hear that the new position I have taken with a really good company are known to "take care of thier boys" as far as bonuses, dinners and fringes.”

“my boss didn't even give me my two weeks vacation pay that was 2 weeks away. i only got 1 week severance pay after 6 years.”

“You can't have everything, where would you put it?”

“Lizs..... newspapers..... bonuses, ha! Never had one at any of the newspapers i worked for.

But not any more, about 25-30% paid in Sept and Feb, once they count up how much they made. Woo Hoo. Did I mention the stock options .... ;o)”

“I will receive approx 25 to 50 bucks! Whoo -- whee! Working for a small town sucks. Years ago, we received a turkey at Xmas. Then, a councilman questioned whether we should be paying taxes on the turkey. Serious. What a pr---! Oh, he was a minister too!”

“Teachers in our district receive a $200 bonus if they miss less than two days during the first half of the school year. It's the same for the second half.

My wife had surgery a few months ago, so no bonus for me.

It saves the district money. Absences are way down.

It comes at Christmas time, but it's not really a Christmas bonus.”

“I usually get a frozen turkey.”

“Jelly of the month club for me!”

“Wow, heck of a good school district, RL!”

“my "PAID VACATION" turned out to be....a half a week paid, the other half...well..

and i work all weekends and holidays just like any other, w/o extra pay.(excluding T-day, and Christmas-those are without pay and are just my regular days off)

he even stiffed me on the $175 parking sticker that I had been accustomed to having the business cover

and in order to work more than 40 hours(no time and a 1/2) you have to be an illegal alien

silly me to overlook the $50 Trader Joe gift certificate of last Christmas”

“In past years, we've always gotten half a week's pay the week before Christmas. This year nothing has been announced yet, though it was never announced in past years either; just kinda shows up.

Anyway, the company's posted a bigger growth this year than in any of the past 3 (gotta love being the IT guy administering the profitability reports), so I would expect at least status quo...”

“I think my last one was 2002-3.”

“I could buy a thousand one-dollar bills with my bonus.”

“Share the wealth, buddy?”

“I am the bonus king.”