1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

CHRISTMAS BONUS, 2010 STYLE

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Drip, Dec 3, 2010.

Page 1 of 8
  1. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Well, after a three year hiatus, the company has passed out a Christmas Bonus. What are you expecting or have received?
     
    Drip, Dec 3, 2010
    #1
  2. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    During my newspaper career, these were some of the bonuses I got.

    The bad ones...

    An invitation to a Christmas party where I would have to pay $10 for each person attending.

    A gift certificate for a free turkey from a grocery store that was at least 40 minutes away from where anybody who worked at the paper lived.

    A donation in our names to a charity of the publisher's choice.

    The good ones...

    Computer bags with the paper's name on it. I heard we got them because they couldn't sell them, but I didn't care.

    My boss (not the paper) paid the entire tab for the staff to go out drinking and paid for cabs to take us home afterwards as well.

    My boss (not the paper) bought $25 gift Best Buy gift cards for everyone on staff.
     
    Mizzougrad96, Dec 3, 2010
    #2
  3. printdust

    printdust New Member

    How about news of four furloughs over the course of the next year all at once, so you can plan accordingly instead of wait with false hope that you won't get one at all in any quarter? Just thought that up since some on here are still getting them.
     
    printdust, Dec 3, 2010
    #3
  4. Sir Sid

    Sir Sid Member

    Once got a $10 (or maybe it was $5) gift card to Dillards.
    Essentially my Christmas bonus was a pair of dress socks.
     
    Sir Sid, Dec 3, 2010
    #4
  5. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Those at Lean's Bay Area Newspaper Group got a nice bonus this year: No vacation accruals from Dec. 6 to March 27.

    This will not impact any vacation time that you have earned or vacation time that you have planned. In fact we hope that you will take your vacation and enjoy some paid time off during this holiday season.

    http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/109186/remember-when-newspapers-gave-bonuses-around-the-holiday/
     
    MileHigh, Dec 3, 2010
    #5
  6. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    I got a gig outside the industry this year, as I continue to idiotically try to worm my way back in. Our "office," for lack of a better term, has less than 10 people in it. Got in the mail a few weeks ago an invite to the Christmas party, which is a week from Monday. Boss lady told me there'd be gifts too.

    Which means it took until I was 37, and out of journalism after almost 20 years, to be invited to a Christmas party and get a holiday gift, even though I have worked for companies that were, to put it charitably, far more well-endowed than this Mom and Pop (or Hubby and Wife) operation.

    The people "running" this industry can go fuck themselves.
     
    BYH, Dec 3, 2010
    #6
  7. farmerjerome

    farmerjerome Active Member

    I have never received a Christmas bonus, but we've always had a party.

    One of my bosses was pretty generous with the presents last year though.
     
    farmerjerome, Dec 3, 2010
    #7
  8. nmmetsfan

    nmmetsfan Active Member

     
    nmmetsfan, Dec 3, 2010
    #8
  9. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    My first Christmas bonus in a non-journalism job was three paid days off.
     
    Mizzougrad96, Dec 3, 2010
    #9
  10. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Non-Journalism stuff for me right now, although I am marginally hanging onto a gig on the editorial board of a large financial publication -- even though it is in direct conflict with the main work I am currently doing. We never really worked out the logistics, so I am sort of on hiatus -- not contributing any editorial work for the time being.

    No Christmas bonuses for me. I have my own company and I guess I will take a distribution at the end of the year, but that isn't really a bonus. It's just taking money out of the business in a way that avoids paying some taxes. But the great news for me is that a client I have worked for for a few years -- in the financial/investment banking industry -- asked me to manage a project for them a few months ago, which has involved a lot of editing and design of sensitive policy documents, as well as improbably being part of a high-level team that is involved in a megaproject that involves some hot button compensation issues that regulators around the world are still pushing on for changes.

    So there will be no Christmas bonus for me, and the work has been difficult for me in some ways because I lost a lot of independence--I have had to work onsite 99 percet of the time for a few months, and maybe one or two more months, but every day I stick my nose in this place, I earn a goodly amount. So this year, I am considering that my unexpected Christmas bonus. In the mean time, my business has other work, and I have been much better about delegating to my boys, who seem to be holding the fort just fine, even if they are knuckleheads. And I earn something from those projects to, even though I am barely involved. The work I am personally doing has been so so, and culturally, I am not a suit and tie guy and find this place dreadfully depressing at times. But the checks clear on time and they have filled my bank account nicely. So it will be a good Christmas for the loved-ones of Ragu.
     
    The Big Ragu, Dec 3, 2010
    #10
  11. Seahawk

    Seahawk Member

    My first full-time job, I got holiday bonuses of $500 in 1999, $750 in 2000 and $1000 in 2001. I don't believe I have received one since. Actually, I forgot that bonuses happened. However, both of my last two stops has taken the entire staff out for a nice dinner or lunch every year, which is nice.
     
    Seahawk, Dec 3, 2010
    #11
  12. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    A subscription to the Jelly of the Month club.

    Ok seriously, a what?
     
    Flying Headbutt, Dec 3, 2010
    #12
Page 1 of 8
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page