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Christmas Bonus

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  • 21-12-2011 6:46pm
    #1
    james19
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭


    So all my colleagues at work have been given a Christmas bonus in their pay this month, except me. I'm the only one on a temporary contract - for a year and have been there 11 months. Can my employer exclude me? Does the legislation in place that temporary employees must be treated the same as permanent include a bonus?


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    #2
    UMMMM
    Registered Users Posts: 64 ✭✭UMMMM


    james19 wrote: »
    So all my colleagues at work have been given a Christmas bonus in their pay this month, except me. I'm the only one on a temporary contract - for a year and have been there 11 months. Can my employer exclude me? Does the legislation in place that temporary employees must be treated the same as permanent include a bonus?
    A bonus is just that it can have many terms and conditions and can be removed at any time so basically no you have no entitlement to unfortunately !


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    #3
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,802 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    james19 wrote: »
    Does the legislation in place that temporary employees must be treated the same as permanent include a bonus?

    Do you have any links to this legislation? I haven't heard of it before.


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    #4
    markpb
    Registered Users Posts: 9,265 ✭✭✭markpb


    JustMary wrote: »
    Do you have any links to this legislation? I haven't heard of it before.

    I think it's the EU Temporary and Agency Work Directive which was recently transposed into Irish law.

    OP, it depends entirely on your contract - what does that say about bonuses?


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    #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I wouldn't go asking for one, but next time you're with your manager alone, just tell him you're very disappointed and feel a little awkward around the other employees at the moment, as they're obviously discussing their bonuses in the office and such.

    If it's a large company with lots of employees and stores/offices/etc. across the country/world, then it's possible that it's all computer generated and such, and it chose not to include you as you're on a different type of contract.

    If it's a small company with only yourselves, then it could be a case that he/she simply just forgot. My friend's dad does a bit of work in a retail store as a security guard.

    He's the only security guard amidst a sea of retail assistants. There are 11 other staff I think. Anyway, one year they all got bonuses except him. He assumed it was because he was security and therefore they obviously didn't want to give him a bonus. He never mentioned it to anyone and nothing was ever said about it.

    Odd thing though is that he got one the year before that, and the year after it (and ever since). So I've no idea what happened there, but it could be something odd. It's definitely something I'd mention in passing (but I wouldn't actually ask for a bonus, just let him know you're not too pleased about it, and possibly use it as an opportunity to get your contract changed over to the same as everyone else?)


    And do yourself a favour; don't go in talking about the law and quoting EU legislation. Your temporary contract may come to a very swift end.


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    #6
    donegal lass 4
    Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭donegal lass 4


    Hi
    I work in an office with four of us, two got a bonus last year and me and another person got nothing. It is extremely frustrating, I did wonder at the legality of it all myself last year.
    (just to add we are all here varying lenghts of time - two that got a bonus here about 6 - 8 years and me and the other person 2-4 years)

    I searched for some info on bonuses, there was nothing mentioned in the contract i signed regarding it, but i couldnt find anything on them.

    As far as i am aware they are discretionary, however like another poster above, I wouldnt go in and outrght ask for it - that will only make you sound like a (for lack of a better word) whinger :eek:.

    My approach to resolve this was to ask my direct manager was he happy with my work so far, and if he was, I then asked for an explaination as to why I was the only person who hadn't recieved a bonus. I told him that I was upset that if my work wasn't up to scratch or deserving of a bonus, then i would want to know so i could improve.

    At least this way I made the manager aware of the unfairness of it all, and made myself feel better that I had brought it up.

    I will add though, I didn't get one last year despite being reassured that my work was fine, and I am very doubtful I will receive anything this year again having been praised for my work. they are just them type of employers that have "favourites" and use the recession as an excuse for everything :D


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    #7
    mikemac1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    Discretionary OP, not a lot that can be done

    But don't do what I did once and hand in my notice for a job the week before bonuses were given. I didn't know at the time and was a bit out of the loop
    Oh what a fool :rolleyes:
    donegal lass 4 wrote: »
    My approach to resolve this was to ask my direct manager was he happy with my work so far, and if i was a case that he was, i then asked for an explaination as to why I was the only person who hadnt recieved a bonus. I told him that I was upset that if my work wasnt up to scratch or deserving of a bonus, then i would want to know so i could improve.

    At least this way I made the manager aware of the unfairness of it all, and made myself feel better that I had brought it up.

    That's a very good way of phrasing it and getting an answer from the manager :)

    Force the manager to get it out in the open and at least if there are things you need to work on you can write a list and come back next time and prove you did them all
    You told me I was weak at giving solutions and in the last three months I've given twenty seven in the weekly meetings. Here are dates and times and here what's accepted and here what is being planned


    There are too many managers out there who tell you that you're working extremely well and then six months later on your appraisal start listing issues.
    Why didn't you say so months ago so it could be highlighted and worked on???


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    #8
    pow wow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,288 ✭✭✭pow wow


    It could be that you have to have been employed for the full 12 months leading up to the award of the bonus and that's why you weren't eligible OP. It could also be because you're temporary. If everyone got it except you it's unlikely it's to do with the quality of your work. The 12 month rule has been in place in a lot of companies I've worked for, as has the temp rule.


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    #9
    Gary ITR
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,805 ✭✭✭✭Gary ITR


    pow wow wrote: »
    It could be that you have to have been employed for the full 12 months leading up to the award of the bonus and that's why you weren't eligible OP. It could also be because you're temporary. If everyone got it except you it's unlikely it's to do with the quality of your work. The 12 month rule has been in place in a lot of companies I've worked for, as has the temp rule.

    This was the case in a company I worked for, on your first christmas you got no bonus, after that you got a bonus. My manager rang me and explained this to me and told me to take my oh at the time to a restaurant and expense it. He'd given me a budget of a couple of hundred, happy days. Of course I took the missus but never told her it was on my company, I got serious brownie points that day :)


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