THAT ELUSIVE BONUS

I've tended to have civil service jobs, so no bonuses. Hard for me to relate to the concept, having received, in my life, one bottle of cheap champagne as an Xmas bonus when I worked at a record store. Then was laid off a year later.

Not I think you don't all deserve the bonuses of your dreams!

We do deserve them, Dart, we do.

You know, D'Art, i can demonstrate, on paper, in the "official" version from our accounting firm, the tens of thousands per year i've saved the company. On a more tenuous note, i know i could get him to acknowledge the extent to which my high standards of customer service have benefited the business. I worked for the State Univesities Civil Service System in Illinios for more than six years, and, of course there were no bonuses. But consider that doing a good job there did not require me to attempt to save money or to increase income--and, in fact, my dedication to customer service made me very unpopular with other civil service employees, and was even warned about it on more than one occassion.

It's hard to forego a bonus when you see the Boss writing himself a check for several thousand because the wife wants a new SUV.

Civil service deserves bonuses, but the govt. needs the dough for $1,000 hammers and toilet seats.

When I first started working for Florsheim Shoe Company, I asked for a pay raise after working for six months. My boss in Chicago agreed with my request, and said it was setting a precedent with the company. Within two years, I received about ten pay raises, and after three and a half years, I was promoted to audit manager for the company. I worked in management positions for the rest of my (relatively short) working career. I started working in my profession in my early thirties, and retired at 63. When I met my wife, she was working as head nurse at St Joseph's Hospital in San Francisco, and I was still working towards my college degree. My wife still works three days a week, although she could have retired last year. I know I've been blessed by karma during my whole adult life.

edgar, That was $3,600 hammers and $600+ toilet seats.

Oh. I guess I should do my homework before posting next time.

You've done quite well for yourself, CI. I think a lot about retiring, but I think it will be a working retirement.

edgarblythe
Did you ever think that what you consider above and beyond is just in your supervisors eyes is simply doing your job well. Having been a manager in a large manufacturing concern for many years I always felt and operated in the belief it was my function to perform the duties to the best of my ability. There was no limits to my functions and I never had the attitude that "that is not my job." The only appreciation I expected was, in my paycheck and raises. Bonuses are too discretionary to depend on.

What a great subject for me.
I get no 401K, and my income is 90% commission(which I prefer). And as a sales job, I/other salespeople here directly bring in hundreds of thousands of revenue, each(the company makes a ton). Last three years I've been there, I got a $150 cash bonus. There's two guys who own the company as partners, the original guy is a cheap, but rich bastard. One of the partners was just replaced this year. They decided to cut everyone's tiny salary this year....except me. On word it was going to happen, I came out and talked to the new partner about why I thought it was wrong, and how they're making me want to run from the company instead of walk(he knows I've been job hunting).
Anyway, I told him a couple weeks ago if they want to give me a $150 bonus, to keep it because it's a slap in the face. An outside vendor who we sell products for gave me $300 this year, which is very generous. I'm waiting to see if things change this year...either way, I'm still looking for a new job...still haven't got one..

Oh yea...reason for the paycuts? Owner had a company meeting, and was telling us his "woes." Saying the comapny isn't making money right now, ect, ect. So I asked everyone in the room to raise thier hand if they're on pace, or already had a better year this year than last, $$ wise. Every person did. He dodged that pretty fast...found out he just dropped $50K cash to join a country club. Really struggling. Guy doesn't have a dime in debt...whole company is liquid.

After many years of receiving very nice, very lovely bonuses at both Christmas and FYE for profit sharing.....its all been down hill and Im just happy to have a job and the little things that come with it.
Egg Fart man gave all us Gentiles the sideways glance about getting Christmas Day off---not having that alone is a good thought...plus the whole Egg thing
The first corporate job--I got a folding chair with the company logo on it and a Holiday Banquet that was just a cattle call through the cafeteria.
The next little office I thought would be sweet since we were a small company and all that...yeah, right. Got gift cert for a local restaraunt just to find out that buying a package of those gave the boss free lift tickets to his ski home local...nice for thinking of us though.
This year, new job, just had a nice dinner on Friday night and could bring a guest along. Same type of thing...rest owner was paying off a recent job we did for him but, this was done nicely and all that, twas different. I dont expect anything else, and thats okay...like I said, I have a job, I like the place and all is well. All is better, and all could be very worse.

MSN had to go and have an article about what to tip your in-home help (ie: me). For childcare workers (ie: me) the parent is supposed to tip 1 or 2 week's pay. Never has that happened. I sometimes, though not always, get 1-2 day's pay. Last year I got nothin, because they didn't get bonuses at work, hard to argue about that (though I still think it ain't right).

In Brazil it is a legal requirement to get a "13th month salary" during Christmas time. In other words in December they get paid double.

I've never gotten a bonus. I'd prefer a raise but that's just me.

With 14 jobs in 20 years at Silicon Valley tech firms, I've never seen someone get a bonus. Yet we regularly work 20-60 hours per week extra, unpaid, on top of our regular 40 hours. In ten years that adds up to . . . about $400,000 of work per person given to the company, with no thank you or compensation in return, larger than a book for Christmas. Is that fair? Yes. Because we accept it.

Whining doesn't actually change anything. So for the last few years I simply reduce my work to 32 hours/week and hold two or three such jobs at the same time. That way I get paid for the hours I actually put in.

Also, by getting similar jobs, using similar tools and components for similar work, I'm able to apply work I've done at one job to receive "credit and recognition" at another job with no additional effort. They think I did it for them, but another company already paid me for it.

It's a manager's job to squeeze the employee -- to get the maximum work for the minimum pay. If there's any negotiable money left on the table, the manager's not doing their job! That's why minorities, women, kids, and anyone with low self-esteem gets paid far less than their worth. They take it. And they keep working. That virtually gaurentees low pay.

No one should ever get paid what they're worth, otherwise there's no reason for the company to hire them! Rather than complain about it, it's up to employees to be just as ruthless and demanding, to negotiate and actively manipulate the situation to their advantage, same as the company actively does. That's free enterprise. It's no one's job to look out for you, except you. If you're not making your happiness and your raise happen, then who is?

My best solution is to get another job. Keep interviewing, every couple months no matter what, and keep those job offers coming! Every couple years, take one of them. A company can always hire somebody else but you can always hire a different boss -- and it takes PRACTICE.

In this day and age, the only job security we have is the ability to find another job. That makes job-hunting our Primary Occupation, far more important than the job we actually get paid to do. The instant I start at a new job, everything I do is not for my current employer, but for my *next* employer who I haven't met yet! What skills, tools, and references can I build to use at my next job? That's the work that will pay off, and get me my next job offer. It's sounds phony, but even though I produce good work it's only just for show -- to show at my next job interview.

The only real bonus I've seen people get was when the company goes bankrupt.
1) It looks good on my resume, because I survived three rounds of layoffs, and that shows very nicely.
2) I was tired of the job, but instead of saying that I quit, I could now show it wasn't my incompetence or disloyalty that ended the job.
3) Saying I was tenaciously hard-working to the very last hour, until a police officer actually evicted me from the building . . . is a nice show to put on for my next employer.
4) I was planning a 6-month vacation, so the bankruptcy meant I collected $9,000 in unemployment while I was travelling.

That was my bonus. What kind of companies ever give bonuses?

What companies will even pay you for the hours that you work??? I've never seen a company that will pay for even half of the legitimate hours worked when 90-120 hours/week is pretty common. If they're not going to play fair then neither will I. Take 'em for all their worth.

Capitalism.

I agree with Craven, raises are better - they last the whole year, and if the boss recognizes your contributions, he'll add another raise next year.

I would also rather have a raise than a bonus, partly because you can't always count on the bonus.

You're right, GeorgeT. I think most of us are inclined by nature to give our loyalty. It is a sad day when we discover it has been a one way street all these years.

GeorgeT, WELCOME to A2K from another Silicon Valley resident. When one works for other people, it's up to the worker to make sure he gets paid what he is worth. Working more than 40 hours a week to impress the boss is not helping the employee - only the boss and the employer. I've learned that lesson early in my career. If you don't think you're being paid what you're worth, move. What I did to change working 50 hours a week for somebody that will only benefit the employer, I did consulting work. There were so many advantages to consulting, but one can get over-greedy, and end up chasing dollars instead of a life. I had consulting contracts that paid $300 per month for working two-three hours. It almost happened to me, but the contract I got from a nonprofit organization changed my life. They agreed to my 'fee" of $18,000 for part time work, but after working there for almost six months, I dropped all my consulting work, and went to work for them full time. However, during the period I did consulting work, we bought income property, so I didn't need to earn as much money. The trick to financial management is to always save 15 to 20 percent of your income beginning with your very first pay check.

I'd prefer a raise or benefits over a bonus, but I'm not getting either of those.....

au1929
I did my job for 5 1/2 years and did it well. I have letters from the owners and three employee of the year awards to back me up. Then they lied and said that some extra work would be temporary. I let my job go begging for a few weeks and accomplished it. Then they appeared to forget the temporary part and on every visit checked my progress, showing visible diappointment if I didn't have a big enough percentage done. For 2004 they have added so many extras to be done that if there were three of me we might stand a shot at getting a lot of it accomplished - I don't know. I've made up my mind to put in my 40 hrs. per and let what happens will. I no longer care how much extra work can be done, since they don't show any appreciation or other responsibility. I can retire in September if I take early retirement.

I just found out it is firm plan that we will be leaving early on Wednesday, around noon..yippee! I thought Id be there till regular time.
Also, the two vacation days I requested last month for the Fridays after the holidays.....he's giving to all of us..yippeee!!!!
Thats kewl.
Ive also been told to eat all the goodies coming in...eh, that could work for lunch if I want to eat junk for the next couple of days I guess...woohoo.
Oh, yeah, the raise. In the works for end of January...hopefully not going the way of 'the company isnt making any money' route...that could suck.

I received a declining bonus check every year, for many years, until it finally ended up as just a small Walmart gift certificate (Scrooge works in the corporate office). Last year after 14 years of undying dedicated service, my company found they no longer needed my services or the services of many of my co-workers. We were all permanently downsized. Severance pay was decent, but jobless none the less.