Christmas Bonus??!?!?!!

[G & G Electric]

This topic has been a burr in my butt for some time now. Years ago I worked for a shop in Ft. Hood that would give a weeks pay for a xmas bonus, of course you had to have been employed by them for 12 months prior (checks were prorated according to how many months you were employed that fiscal year). Not a bad deal, two 40 hour checks at $33.33 an hour. When I was laid off I began work for another contractor closer to home, less money, but close to home. For a bonus that year, the owner gave everyone a check, with taxes taken out, for $50. Owners son, who loved to talk money, said his dads bonus was over $900,000. He's the owner, so he should definently pay himself. But at that, why not give a larger bonus? At the time there were only 27 guys working for him. After owners son went running his mouth, morale within the company went to hell. I know it's shooting for the stars and I'm sure there are other factors at play, but if everone were to have gotten $1000, or even $500, his employees would have felt like the owner gave a dman about them, and may have worked harder for him. Do ya'll give bonuses? How do you calculate them? I know it's after christmas, but the discussion came up at work today. BTW, I'm with another contractor now who doesn't give a PENNY for a xmas bonus.

 

[electricalperson]

i think bosses should give employees bonuses it improves morale and makes the employee feel like hes appreciated. my boss gives out pretty decent bonuses. the one i got for christmas was bigger than all the other bonuses i ever gotten in hte past by a long shot

 

[Flex]

I never count on a bonus. My boss keeps me happily employed at a decent wage and thats enough for me. This year he gave us an extra paid day off. We already had christmas and the day after off paid.

 

[Buck Parrish]

I give a big 14-16 lb Turkey. The guys really seem to enjoy it.

 

[480sparky]

Unless the 'bonus' is something that is agreed to at time of starting employment, anything you get is just that... a bonus. A gift. If you don't like it, who says you have to stay where you are?

Some employers have a well-defined system for calculating year-end bonuses. Many things can get mixed in to the calculation..... year-end profitability, margins, even safety records.

But if you're getting nothing more than a gift from the boss, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Would you complain if you got a check for $50 in July?

 

[billdozier]

First year in 8 for my bosses company not to give out bonusses he useually payys for two weeks off just couldnt this year bonus was getting to work 52 weeks in 2008 how many guys cant even say that remember the times

 

[bikeindy]

$500.00 thats what I gave to my guys. We had a 29% growth this year and we all worked hard so I spent more on my kids this year as well. (thats my bonus) I use to work for a company that handed out large bonuses to the office people and gave out $50.00 -$150.00 to the guys in the plant. That company sucks.

 

[petersonra]

I give a big 14-16 lb Turkey. The guys really seem to enjoy it.

we used to get a turkey. now we get a gift card because a fair number of employees did not take the turkeys home because they don't eat turkey.

my brother used to work at a pretty good sized place that gave out turkeys. he would collect dozens of them from emplyees who did not want them and bring them to the rescue mission. some years he would fill his whole van with frozen turkeys for the mission.

 

[brian john]

All my employees (from the apprentice hired in October) received a bonus from a minimum of a weeks pay up to VERY NICE (IMO) based on how long they have been employed, in addition they had a choice of Smoked Turkey or Spiral cut Virginia Ham, 2 1/2 days before Xmas, Xmas and Friday. I got a Ham and I had asked for a Turkey.

 

[Buck Parrish]

we used to get a turkey. now we get a gift card because a fair number of employees did not take the turkeys home because they don't eat turkey.

my brother used to work at a pretty good sized place that gave out turkeys. he would collect dozens of them from emplyees who did not want them and bring them to the rescue mission. some years he would fill his whole van with frozen turkeys for the mission.

That's a lot of Turkeys. He could have had a bowling Turkey contest for the employees. Then who ever won would get a $300.00 bonous.

 

[charlietuna]

I always worked by the hour --not "by the bonus" !! If i got anything-it was appreciated! And i worked for some that were better than others! Had one boss asked me what i payed for my new pickup truck in 1978 and i told him--he stopped by the job later and gave me a check for $6200.00--but things were good then !! On that same job the plumbing foreman didn't get the Christmas bonus he thought he deserved so he took the company truck and drove it to another state and sent his boss the keys saying he quit !?
When i started my business i always payed my guys a week's salary every year and that worked for everybody.............

 

[bradleyelectric]

I worked for a guy that used to give bonuses and a party at Chrismas. Someone mouthed off to him about the bonus being to small. He had sandwiches at the shop from then on. I had an employee come back to my house after giving him a bonus to complain that he got the same bonus that he got the year before and he thought he would be getting more. My father told me I should have asked him to let me see the check, said Merry Christmas and shut the door. I just told him that was what the payroll service said was fair.

I know guys that don't give a bonus due to guys complaining about what they thought they should get.

 

[zog]

That's a lot of Turkeys. He could have had a bowling Turkey contest for the employees. Then who ever won would get a $300.00 bonous.

Did you see that on "10 items or less" the other night? Turkey bowling?

 

[zog]

All my employees (from the apprentice hired in October) received a bonus from a minimum of a weeks pay up to VERY NICE (IMO) based on how long they have been employed, in addition they had a choice of Smoked Turkey or Spiral cut Virginia Ham, 2 1/2 days before Xmas, Xmas and Friday. I got a Ham and I had asked for a Turkey.

that is about the same for us, last place I worked it was pretty weak, $100 or something like that.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Did you see that on "10 items or less" the other night? Turkey bowling?

No, I never seen that show.

 

[ron]

I was asked to pay $25 per person to go to my office holiday party.
No bonus. Dept head (a very nice guy BTW) gave everyone a box of FL citrus since the company was giving bupkis.

 

[mxslick]

At least some guys got a bonus this year. I used to contract out for a guy building his screening rooms (he designs and does the ordering, charges tens of thousands for labor plus a good markup on equipment, and pays me a VERY small percentage of that, though I'm doing 85-90% of the actual install and startup work). Oh. and he's out-of-state based.

In the six years total I worked with him, The last five I always got a bonus which was actually quite generous. That and sincere thanks for all the hard work. Makes up for the lower pay during the rest of the year.

Last year, despite me completing 10 rooms total (each takes an average of 3 months of man-hours), including one set of three rooms that I got done in the time frame of one...didn't get squat for a bonus. Not even a thank-you for all the hard work. I decided enough's enough and parted company with him.

That's ok though, since three of his clients dropped him and have me taking care of their rooms from now on. And one of those clients gave me a nice Xmas card with a cash gift inside.

I always pay my helpers quite generously (averages out to $25/hr) and give end-of-job bonuses if we complete ahead of schedule.

 

[tonyou812]

Unless the 'bonus' is something that is agreed to at time of starting employment, anything you get is just that... a bonus. A gift. If you don't like it, who says you have to stay where you are?

Some employers have a well-defined system for calculating year-end bonuses. Many things can get mixed in to the calculation..... year-end profitability, margins, even safety records.

But if you're getting nothing more than a gift from the boss, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Would you complain if you got a check for $50 in July?

Totally agree. It seems like some guys dont get that. Anyone that complains about their bonus after a year like this one really needs to pick up a newspaper once in a while.
And it seems like some guys are never satisfied no matter what you do. they are all about me me me. Ive had one boss that would dole out anywhere from 2-5 grand per man depending on time in. One boss took all of us to Atlantic City for a weekend with room paid, dinner paid and 500 bucks to gamble with. But ive also worked for guys that would give us a turkey and a few days pay or new tools and i was just as appreciative. If I make a nice wage the bonus is just "bonus" to my yearly salary. And I wouldnt count on it every year. I know some guys that would wait untill after christmass to quit or leave the company so they wouldnt miss out on their money.

 

[electricalperson]

my father got a 10 dollar christmas bonus this year from the place he worked at

 

[steelersman]

my father got a 10 dollar christmas bonus this year from the place he worked at

Yeah right.