Standard Christmas Bonus Survey

[El Presidente]

What is the standard Christmas Bonus within your operation?

I hate giving cash as a Christmas Bonus....predominantly because I am cheap.....but handing out cash just makes me feel like I am picking up hookers on a street corner ( Not that I have any personal knowledge )

So do you recieve or dole out cash as a Christmas bonus or do you or would you prefer to take the same value of cash in a well thought out personal gift?

I will ensure plugged cigars are sent to ANYONE who e-mails Lise or Smithy with a link to this thread ;-)

[Ginseng]

» What is the standard Christmas Bonus within your operation?

»

» I hate giving cash as a Christmas Bonus....predominantly because I am

» cheap.....but handing out cash just makes me feel like I am picking up

» hookers on a street corner ( Not that I have any personal knowledge

» )

»

»

» So do you recieve or dole out cash as a Christmas bonus or do you or would

» you prefer to take the same value of cash in a well thought out personal

» gift?

»

» I will ensure plugged cigars are sent to ANYONE who e-mails Lise or Smithy

» with a link to this thread ;-)

Cash. In my former work (chemical industry) year end bonuses were 15-30% of salary depending on financial targets achieved. The non-contingent gift was a turkey and a Christmas party to which we had to bring food.

Wilkey

[jay8354]

I wonder why there are already 4 views and no replies yet.

Maybe it is because this is such a loaded question.

Damn if we do give a reply and damn if we don't.

El Prez, IMO it really depends on your personal preference. But then again you have not set out how much you are willing to give yet.

If you don't want to give out cash, then the present has to be something that you know the employees would want. ie: not something they would never use and consider as a piece of junk.

It had better be good, otherwise you will be called "cheap" anyway. :-D

My Old man's rule for bonus of any kind is this, to give you an idea of what is fair (for the Boss). He does this every year for around 1000+ employees.

You have 2, so this should be a breeze for you.

[ Number of years employed + (Role performed + Performance (+ / - attribute) - How much do you need them ] / 100 (for percentage) x How much profit the company has made this year? (or How much are you willing to give them? )

BTW, Are you sure that Lisa and Smithy has not found this post yet?

[habanohal]

1st of all, here in the states, any kind of bonus is still taxed. So It is highly unlikely any company here gives cash.THe wife gets $500 each year but after taxes she is luck to get $290 or so.

I would think most people would enjoy cash. Especially around the holidays.

Myself, I get what I give myself... LOL ( the joys of being self_employed)

[CIGARHead]

» What is the standard Christmas Bonus within your operation?

»

» I hate giving cash as a Christmas Bonus....predominantly because I am

» cheap.....but handing out cash just makes me feel like I am picking up

» hookers on a street corner ( Not that I have any personal knowledge

» )

»

»

» So do you recieve or dole out cash as a Christmas bonus or do you or would

» you prefer to take the same value of cash in a well thought out personal

» gift?

»

» I will ensure plugged cigars are sent to ANYONE who e-mails Lise or Smithy

» with a link to this thread ;-)

Dear Santa,

I've been such a good boy this year. I want nothing BUT CASH for Christmas. I know my loved ones want to buy me a "personal" gift, blah, blah, blahgg - but I know what I want...they dont. Even if I tell them I want the black leather jacket I'll get the brown one. So, please dont be a cheap ass this year and send cash. I promise I wont leave tabasco flavored cookies and week old milk by the tree this year too. Sorry about last year. And please tell Rudolf not to shine his bright ass red nose in my window, he woke me up last year.

...oh, and as far as bonuses go, I sign the checks 'round here so I just dole myself out a nice check because I deserve it.

[Colt45]

Usually gift certificates to stores most people like. When times have been good, I've gotten money put into my 401k plan, based on years of employment.

The days of a weeks or two weeks pay is long gone, at least for me.

[hazleem]

Cash is KING! :-D

[josie67]

I always get cash. :-)

[Loki]

The owner of the union electrical contracting business that I work for gives American express gift checks which as you know are the same as CASH. Oh and they throw a Christmas brunch. I guess by having a brunch they eliminate the alcohol liability.

[El Presidente]

Jay

I have 22 employees......albeit close inspection by the tax office may find some of them to be Herbivores (both feathered and woollen) working very close to my house

[El Presidente]

Holy Lord ....when did they stop alcohol at Brunch!!!!!!!!!!

[novasurf]

No bonus.

Awesome lunch together with our team of 12.

That's it.

[habanablue]

let me quote from a well known hip hop song...

CREAM

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

Cash is always good as a bonus...covering aunt molly's shitty gift and the over stretched Visa card.

[cf2112]

I give cash bonus's to all my employee's, depends on years of service and whether you are a journeyman or apprentice.

[smokeswirl]

Cash is KING!!!! Unless its an exotic auto or a brand new house give me the cash.

[Tampa1257]

The stingy bastard that I work for gives a luncheon for all 235 of us, you know, the canned meat warmed up on a hot plate that may look like food, but is not USDA inspected. Cheap prick! While I bring in over 1.5 million of Net Profit annually, I get NADA as a Christmas Bonus.

When I worked for a Company that did give out Christmas Bonuses, it was structured by years service, profitability, dedication, retainment. If they wanted to retain you as an employee, they gave generously, if not, you got a lump of coal. j/k Cash was King, but Weekend Trips, Big Screen HDTVs, all kinds of electronics, computers, etc were given out in lew of Cash prizes.

Think I might have to change companies next year, after 7 years with this same cheap prick, I am feeling that I'm not one of their prized ho's no mo.

[mgillett]

Well Prez, cash is good but they will be taxed on it. If you want a tax answer I believe you can gift up to $500 worth of inhouse merchandise before incurring any FBT (tax free to employees too!). Likewise you can have a Chrissy party up to $100 a head tax/FBT free.

Guess it depends on the employees.

[GoatLocker]

Being in the military, I'm just glad to be home this year! No Bonuses for us.

My wife has always received cash, but a gift certificate to very nice restaraunt or tickets to a concert or sporting event would be nice too.

[ironman]

We get a "Happy Holidays" and maybe a pat on the back:lookaround:

Ironman

[jay8354]

El Prez, well since you have 22 employees, and most are herbivores, I suggest oats. But Lisa and Smithy might not like that, then again they might. ;-) Nice and healthy employees is the excuse.

For the rest of this post, seems like everyone is in the same boat if not self employed.

I don't get nothing, no bonus or meal.

For our Christmas party, they are asking for AUD$20 for employees and AUD$60 for contractors. First company I have worked with that asks you to pay for THEIR party. Considering that they could have claim it all back as a Tax Benefit.

[Bunker1028]

I sell I.T. solutions, and haven't received a year end bonus in 13 years. In the 2 companies I've worked in during that time, the sales guys are at the upper end of the pay scale, so bonuses are given to everyone else, and I think thats cool.

My current company gave out 10s of thousands of cash prizes at last years Xmas party, which apparently they always do and it's pretty mind blowing.

[Freefallguy]

El P...

Cash is king here as well; though we're a small firm I think we're pretty generous... bonus size is driven by number of years of service, performance and attitude. I did an informal census a couple of years back and the average length of employment was 13 years; pretty good for a construction firm.

Of course, since I'm the El P here, I write my own, nicely!

As for gifts, if I don't like it, it's going back for cash... be it from Aunt Sadie or not (man, that always pissed off my sis', so now they just go the gift certificate route).

Be good to your employees, they’re your greatest asset!

[harwellplant]

we really appreciate the staff that works for us here, so we try to be generous with bonuses. we usually do a nice cash bonus from the firm, and the partners also get gifts for the staff, as well, on a personal basis. cash comes in handy for christmas time shopping, and our staff thinks of that bonus as us taking an interest in their familes' enjoyment of the holiday season and ability to provide for their own.

also, when you give a bonus that is subject to taxation, give the amount you want to give and THEN have your account add on the necessary tax. nothing blows worse than having someone gift you a thousand for a christmas bonus, but then getting a check for only $825.00. if you are going to be giving, be giving of the tax, as well.

[strayvector]

No Xmas bonus for me or my US co-workers. If you work at a site, there is usually a Christmas function with small gifts (<$25 or its taxable), but for those working remotely, you get a nice email wishing you a Happy Holidays. :-D Our bonus pays out mid-year.

[Curmudgeon]

In my business, a Christmas bonus is not really a bonus, in the sense that it is expected, though it's technically at the firm's discretion. My bonus is cash and a large fraction of my total annual compensation. My firm also gives us some kind of garment with the firm logo. I like the items with small logos.