'Tis the season: Annual holiday bonus thread

Yeah, this might be a touch early, but I already got an unexpected bonus last week in the mail.

I started assistant coaching part-time the local college hockey team. I certainly wasn't expecting anything but in my pay stub on Friday was a $50 gift card to the local high-end grocery store.

In my time at my paper our Christmas bonus has been a buffet dinner, that wouldn't surprise me if it was discontinued this year since our annual newsroom luncheon was cut from lunch at a nice restaurant to cake and punch in the newsroom.

I should have made the jump to academia years ago.

 

I'm guessing there won't be too many responses to this considering the state of the economy and the state of the industry.

 

Jack Shit.

I take that back. 3.9 percent raise in base pay.

 

Is this some sort of joke?

We already get free tickets to games.

 

I was told I can come back to work for at least one more day, does this count?

 

We don't even get a holiday party.

 

oh joy, another reason to fill lousy about the state of the industry

 

Got to work today and the ole' key card worked and the door opened again. Survived another day. That's about all we got here.

We used to receive $45 gift certificates. They were cut last year.

 

Rusty,

You are living dangerous, my man. I stick gum on the side-door bolt before leaving each night. Always leave yourself an in.

 

wow. we're three years into a wage freeze. that's great!

i'm hearing our holiday bonuses are in the budget for this year, but after that, who the heck knows? it'll be mighty interesting to see what our place does if/when the bonuses end, 'cause many employees -- myself included -- had the bonus factored into our salaries when we were courted to get around a top-of-the-scale base situation. the bonus was a way for the powers that be to get around the top-minimum situation.

i fully expect to be effed. but if they try pulling that crap, i know many of us will be lawyering up. unless those making the call do the right thing and just add the bonus to the base salary of the vets.

so many issues, so little time....

 

You were courted to take a position where you already made the maximum? Wow.

 

here's the deal: i was at a major metro making, say, 50k. my current place came after me. when it came time to talk money, my current place said the top weekly starting salary at the paper was, say, 47k. i wasn't seeking to break the bank, but c'mon, you don't leave one major metro for another for less money. or even the same money, although it was job description i really wanted.

so my current joint said, "listen, nothing we can do about the base. but we do give annual christmas bonuses that usually start at $500 and goes up $500 annually. so what we can do is start your xmas bonus at $8,000, for a total of $55,000."

that got the deal done. the bonuses were finally frozen three years ago. but without it entirely, we'd be totally effed. all i know is if they ever stop the bonuses, they'd better move it over to base salary for long-time employees.

otherwise, we're all royally screwed yet again. i just pray they see that right is right.

i won't be holding my breath, though.