Should you expect a christmas bonus?

Kevhog1988 · 17-12-2018 11:33am #1

Out of interest would you expect to receive a christmas bonus in work?. this year we had no christmas party and were given a €50 one 4 all voucher. I have always received a bonus and had a xmas party at all other companies i have worked for. in the same industry.

Am i wrong to think the 50 quid was a bit tight?.

wakka12 · 17-12-2018 11:37am

Yes 50 is ****e and could hardly be called a bonus

colm_mcm · 17-12-2018 11:38am

wakka12 wrote: »

Yes 50 is ****e and could hardly be called a bonus

Not even €50 if you pay BIK on it!

riffmongous · 17-12-2018 11:38am

Depends on your work and wage really

Personally I really like the 14 month payment system, so you get a bit less in your regular monthly, but then you get 2 big 'bonus' payments for Christmas and summer

seamus · 17-12-2018 11:38am

I've never received a Xmas bonus in any company I've worked for.

Take your €50 and be happy.

Plumbthedepths · 17-12-2018 11:40am

Unless it's specifically mentioned in a contract bonuses are at the discretion of the company. Size of bonus depends on company performance, strength and loyalty to staff. The company I work for gives us a substantial bonus every year but it is dependent on company performance. It was suspended during the recession for 4 years.

Muscles Schultz · 17-12-2018 11:41am

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Unless it's specifically mentioned in a contract bonuses are at the discretion of the company. Size of bonus depends on company performance, strength and loyalty to staff. The company I work for gives us a substantial bonus every year but it is dependent on company performance. It was suspended during the recession for 4 years.

How substantial

Kevhog1988 · 17-12-2018 11:41am

riffmongous wrote: »

Depends on your work and wage really

Personally I really like the 14 month payment system, so you get a bit less in your regular monthly, but then you get 2 big 'bonus' payments for Christmas and summer

Our last payment was 5th of december and we dont get paid again until 5th January also,

ELM327 · 17-12-2018 11:41am

colm_mcm wrote: »

Not even €50 if you pay BIK on it!

No BIK on one off bonuses by gift card if it's less than €500.

trellheim · 17-12-2018 11:41am

you can give vouchers up to a certain limit and not have to pay BIK ( sorry ELM327 beat me to it )

Wabbit Ears · 17-12-2018 11:46am

I don't think you should expect a Christmas bonus. Haven't got one myself in years. Its not done in the company I work for and irrelevant what the industry norm is. Id be happy with a 50 quid voucher TBH.

Plumbthedepths · 17-12-2018 11:47am

Muscles Schultz wrote:

How substantial

None of your business tbh.

17-12-2018 12:00pm

Never understood this entitlement complex, if you're fortunate to receive any bonus then be grateful and stop whinging.

troyzer · 17-12-2018 12:07pm

I got £1,000 from my last job for Christmas. Not bad seeing as how I was only there for three months.

Kevhog1988 · 17-12-2018 12:07pm

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Unless it's specifically mentioned in a contract bonuses are at the discretion of the company. Size of bonus depends on company performance, strength and loyalty to staff. The company I work for gives us a substantial bonus every year but it is dependent on company performance. It was suspended during the recession for 4 years.

I would see that as a reasonable approach and a norm for my industry (Construction). Hence why im a bit pissed off.

Tell me how · 17-12-2018 12:12pm

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

None of your business tbh.

You could have just given a percentage value of your salary without having to get defensive.

On the OP's point, no one should really expect a Christmas bonus unless terms and conditions are outlined what it'll take to merit it (sales targets, profit margin etc), or it's specifically outlined in your contract.

They lose their purpose if blindly given year after year and can cause poor moral if they are withdrawn, even if justifiably so.

Plumbthedepths · 17-12-2018 12:15pm

Tell me how wrote:

You could have just given a percentage value of your salary without having to get defensive.

Or the individual concerned could have refrained from asking a question that was irrelevant. Works both ways.

TheBigEvil · 17-12-2018 12:20pm

Not unless you work for the Luas :-o

But seriously, no, never received a bonus at Christmas. We may get a One4All voucher, but thats about it.

BeerWolf · 17-12-2018 12:27pm

I got a Christmas Hamper with various food items in it off work...

/woo

pgj2015 · 17-12-2018 12:31pm

i used to get 1 weeks wages as my christmas bonus. very decent bonus i thought.

Sabre0001 · 17-12-2018 12:33pm

Getting paid before Christmas / one payment halfway through December and one at the end is about as close to a bonus as I've gotten!

MetzgerMeister · 17-12-2018 12:33pm

Back in 2006-2009 when I was in the building industry the Christmas bonuses were immense. As a junior estimator I got €1,300 the first year and €1,700 the next two years.

In my last job the bonuses were horrendous for normal staff but were massive for the owners. In my current job we get Perfect Incentive cards for quite substantial amounts. Everyone including the boss gets the same. We also get 10% of the monthly profits each month divided between us which is taxed as normal. We are very lucky to get a Christmas bonus on top of this.

Bonuses shouldn't be expected but be grateful if you do get one. There's no obligation at all on a company to give them and it depends IMO on how well the company is doing whether or not they would give them.

JohnnyFlash · 17-12-2018 12:34pm

I run a small business, and employ 11 people. No way in hell I'd be paying any of them a Christmas bonus. They work for their pay, and that's more than enough for most of them. Never underestimate how lazy and incompetent the average human can be.

petes · 17-12-2018 12:42pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I run a small business, and employ 11 people. No way in hell I'd be paying any of them a Christmas bonus. They work for their pay, and that's more than enough for most of them. Never underestimate how lazy and incompetent the average human can be.

Thank fcuk I don't work for you!

BrokenArrows · 17-12-2018 12:47pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I run a small business, and employ 11 people. No way in hell I'd be paying any of them a Christmas bonus. They work for their pay, and that's more than enough for most of them. Never underestimate how lazy and incompetent the average human can be.

If your staff are that **** then i suggest you look for better staff.

Irishcrx · 17-12-2018 12:49pm

We receive an annual bonus but it's not at Xmas and that's fine , it's in the next years first quarter and usually decided end of the previous year and based on performance up to a maximum of 10% of your salary which I think is pretty good.

I got 10% last year , most people are in and around that or 5 - 7.5%.

Muscles Schultz · 17-12-2018 12:49pm

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

None of your business tbh.

€250?

KungPao · 17-12-2018 12:49pm

As a servant of the people, I shan’t be expecting one, not even a one-year membership in the Jelly of the Month Club.

Bigbagofcans · 17-12-2018 12:51pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I run a small business, and employ 11 people. No way in hell I'd be paying any of them a Christmas bonus. They work for their pay, and that's more than enough for most of them. Never underestimate how lazy and incompetent the average human can be.

You definitely don't flash the cash there, Johnny!

JohnnyFlash · 17-12-2018 12:51pm

BrokenArrows wrote: »

If your staff are that **** then i suggest you look for better staff.

The lads who work for me are very much manual labour grunts. The majority of them are Eastern European, as thick as two short planks, and have serious issues with alcohol consumption. They load heavy things into vans, unload them, and sometimes they will install these heavy things (commercial kitchen equipment). I could replace any of them in the morning, and not skip a heartbeat. They certainly don't deserve any sort of bonus. They don't offer any sort of differentiating skill that makes them worthy of a bonus. If they don't like that, then they can go and find another job. I'm doing most of them a favour by giving them a job in the first place. It's a small business I'm running, not bloody Goldman Sachs.

The Bishop Basher · 17-12-2018 12:52pm

We get an excellent bonus most years but it’s paid out in March.

If the business does well, we do well, if it doesn’t it’s tough ****..

corner of hells · 17-12-2018 12:53pm

Muscles Schultz wrote: »

How substantial

A box of biscuits .

corner of hells · 17-12-2018 12:55pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I run a small business, and employ 11 people. No way in hell I'd be paying any of them a Christmas bonus. They work for their pay, and that's more than enough for most of them. Never underestimate how lazy and incompetent the average human can be.

Should you not be supervising them now , if you cant trust them ?

paulpd · 17-12-2018 12:56pm

E500 One for All voucher and 10% bonus that's paid monthly for 2019.

cmightycon · 17-12-2018 12:57pm

It would depend on the industry norms, but in general - no employer should have an obligation to give a bonus and no employee should feel entitled to one. A bonus should be just that a bonus, a reward of monetary value that is given for good performance or going beyond the call of duty, and not a reward for having being an employee of a company on a certain day.

titan18 · 17-12-2018 12:58pm

The dole get one, so yes, I think people who are actually working should get one.

meeeeh · 17-12-2018 12:58pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

The lads who work for me are very much manual labour grunts. The majority of them are Eastern European, as thick as two short planks, and have serious issues with alcohol consumption. They load heavy things into vans, unload them, and sometimes they will install these heavy things (commercial kitchen equipment). I could replace any of them in the morning, and not skip a heartbeat. They certainly don't deserve any sort of bonus. They don't offer any sort of differentiating skill that makes them worthy of a bonus. If they don't like that, then they can go and find another job. I'm doing most of them a favour by giving them a job in the first place. It's a small business I'm running, not bloody Goldman Sachs.

That's the attitude I absolutely despise. It costs nothing to treat people with respect and it has nothing to do with lack of Christmas bonus.

mariaalice · 17-12-2018 1:02pm

meeeeh wrote: »

That's the attitude I absolutely despise. It costs nothing to treat people with respect and it has nothing to do with lack of Christmas bonus.

They are looking for a reaction maybe, either way looking for a reaction or serious its odd.

JohnnyFlash · 17-12-2018 1:03pm

meeeeh wrote: »

That's the attitude I absolutely despise. It costs nothing to treat people with respect and it has nothing to do with lack of Christmas bonus.

What are you on about? I employ them, pay them a relatively decent wage considering the unskilled nature of what they do, don't overwork them, and turn a blind eye to the fact that some of them are barely functioning alcoholics. What would you suggest I should do above and beyond that??? It's not a charity I'm running. I decide to not pay a bonus and keep the money for my annual Cheltenham blowout. The piper gets to call the tune!

17-12-2018 1:04pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Not even €50 if you pay BIK on it!

Up to €500 is BIK free when in the form of a gift and not extra wages/cash bonus.

Irishcrx · 17-12-2018 1:08pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

What are you on about? I employ them, pay them a relatively decent wage considering the unskilled nature of what they do, don't overwork them, and turn a blind eye to the fact that some of them are barely functioning alcoholics. What would you suggest I should do above and beyond that??? It's not a charity I'm running. I decide to not pay a bonus and keep the money for my annual Cheltenham blowout. The piper gets to call the tune!

Well it costs nothing to treat people with a shred of dignity and respect, I'm a people manager myself for a large company and I wouldn't dream of speaking of my staff in a disrespectful and down right arrogant manner you do.

Maybe the quality of their work reflects their management? Or maybe you don't employ quality people in the first place to save a few quid and run a mediocre operation.

mariaalice · 17-12-2018 1:09pm

Never got a Christmas but the way the salaries are calculated we get a very small bit extra in December salary its not much and its not a bonus but still nice to have. My husband place has a free bar and dinner.

Duffryman · 17-12-2018 1:14pm

Have never had a Christmas bonus in a job, and tbh, have never felt hard done by because of it. People don't seem to realise that the employer is not actually paying extra if they give a 'bonus' - they're just dividing up your annual salary a different way.

Say for example you get paid monthly and you're given what people like to think of as an extra month's pay as a Christmas bonus. What's really happening is that your annual salary is being divided into 13 months instead of 12. So, for the sake of handy figures, say your annual gross salary is €52,000. Monthly gross salary should be 52/12 = €4,333.33

But doing it the Christmas 'bonus' way, you just get 52/13 = €4,000 gross for 11 months of the year, and then €8,000 in December.

Personally I prefer to get paid properly and do my own budgeting for the year, instead of having what's effectively a Christmas savings scheme 'penny bank' type of thing forced on me by the employer.

dragonfly! · 17-12-2018 1:14pm

In my very first job as a teenager / early 20s we got a voucher for the sister hotel across the town for dinner for 2.
So in most cases the owners benefited as you would end up having a few drinks / bottle of wine / chose something with a supplement on it.

I ended up moving jobs to the sister hotel the year the recession started so the bonus was reduced to a €20 voucher for the other hotel.
Most people didnt even use it then as again you would end up bringing someone with you and spending more...
Anyone that was working Christmas Eve could either get their nails done or have carvery comp

I had a Christmas job in a supermarket after that and all regular staff got a voucher for said supermarket. It covered their Christmas shop so they were happy with that.
The Christmas staff didnt get anything but most of us were there for 6 weeks so fair enough.
The regular staff were also rostered off for Christmas Eve and they didnt have to use Annual Leave for this.

I moved to Dublin after that and worked for a wonderful company for 4 years where they really looked after their staff. They gave whatever the tax limit was for one for all vouchers - I think it was €250 the first few years and then increased to €500?
They also gave extra payment in Christmas wages. The amount was linked to your salary and length of service.

Where I am now we dont get anything.
No Christmas party, no lunches and no bonus.
We have a new manager in our regional office this year who has decided we are doing secret santa.
We will be getting lunch into the office - paid for ourselves and ate at our desks as there is no one to cover the phones :rolleyes:

meeeeh · 17-12-2018 1:15pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

What are you on about? I employ them, pay them a relatively decent wage considering the unskilled nature of what they do, don't overwork them, and turn a blind eye to the fact that some of them are barely functioning alcoholics. What would you suggest I should do above and beyond that??? It's not a charity I'm running. I decide to not pay a bonus and keep the money for my annual Cheltenham blowout. The piper gets to call the tune!

Actually I think it's absolutely outrageous that you are ignoring safety of you employees by ridiculous attitude to alcohol. I don't care about bonus, as a small business that got hit badly by recession and margins can still be tight we don't pay bonuses. (We do give out vouchers.) However I always believed in treating people that work for us with respect and not like we are doing them a favour allowing them to work for us.

mariaalice · 17-12-2018 1:20pm

I had very minor dealing with a small company run by a father and son the employees were all eastern European skilled work, the father was a gentleman what you would describe as the realms of old decency the son was the complete opposite and the way the talked to his employees was a disgrace so the type does exist are out there.

Seve OB · 17-12-2018 1:25pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I run a small business, and employ 11 people. No way in hell I'd be paying any of them a Christmas bonus. They work for their pay, and that's more than enough for most of them. Never underestimate how lazy and incompetent the average human can be.

I'm sure you run an amazing business, but I bet you could run it a lot better

Duffryman wrote: »

Have never had a Christmas bonus in a job, and tbh, have never felt hard done by because of it. People don't seem to realise that the employer is not actually paying extra if they give a 'bonus' - they're just dividing up your annual salary a different way.

Say for example you get paid monthly and you're given what people like to think of as an extra month's pay as a Christmas bonus. What's really happening is that your annual salary is being divided into 13 months instead of 12. So, for the sake of handy figures, say your annual gross salary is €52,000. Monthly gross salary should be 52/12 = €4,333.33

But doing it the Christmas 'bonus' way, you just get 52/13 = €4,000 gross for 11 months of the year, and then €8,000 in December.

Personally I prefer to get paid properly and do my own budgeting for the year, instead of having what's effectively a Christmas savings scheme 'penny bank' type of thing forced on me by the employer.

ehhh no.

that's not how Christmas bonuses work

a Christmas bonus is a thank you. something nice to offer your staff at Christmas to show your appreciation for their work over the year.

Seve OB · 17-12-2018 1:26pm

mariaalice wrote: »

I had very minor dealing with a small company run by a father and son the employees were all eastern European skilled work, the father was a gentleman what you would describe as the realms of old decency the son was the complete opposite and the way the talked to his employees was a disgrace so the type does exist are out there.

me wonders did Johnny Flash take over his business from his dad

mariaalice · 17-12-2018 1:29pm

Seve OB wrote: »

me wonders did Johnny Flash take over his business from his dad

its a wind up, but that dose not mean the type does not exist.

Paddy Cow · 17-12-2018 1:33pm

troyzer wrote: »

I got £1,000 from my last job for Christmas. Not bad seeing as how I was only there for three months.

Where do you work and are they hiring?

meeeeh · 17-12-2018 1:34pm

mariaalice wrote: »

its a wind up, but that dose not mean the type does not exist.

Oh it does and it can be just as well against Irish employees not just foreigners. We are in industry where everybody knows everybody and we hear quite a bit of gossip about other businesses. Some get away with it.

Should you expect a christmas bonus?

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