THAT ELUSIVE BONUS

Thanks for putting it all into perspective, colorbook!

No bonuses for the jobless, for sure. The respondents here are from a wide range of jobs and backgrounds. In my personal situation, I still believe I deserve a substantial bonus. A good pay raise is out of the question - I learned last week that I am about the highest paid man for my position within the company. If I stumble anywhere they may take my age and pay into consideration and let me go. Which returns me to the point I made earlier about not rocking the boat just now. My core position is that American business has decided to pay the working man the lowest wages they can get away with. If we insist on getting better treatment and pay they figure to move the jobs out of the country. I don't know how they can put us all to work for Walmart and McDonald's and still expect us to continue to buy their products.

Well said!

They don't want us at McDonald's, Edgar. They want young, eager, and above all, ignorant.

Do you want lettuce and tomatoes with that?

I agree, and the observation is a good start.
So what tactics and strategies might we use to take charge of that type of situation, and turn it to our advantage?

Buy our own hamburger stand? Seriously, I don't know how to fight it.

ed, you've seen this story before, but it's worth repeating.

My department changed hands a little over a year ago. The previous company's bonus was a check, based on years of service. Not too chabby for the veteran workers, but because of profit sharing no one felt slighted.

The (spin-off) company that now signs my paycheck handles Christmas thusly: Company Christmas party. Bad food, bad music, and conversation with people with whom I have little in common. After dinner, the boss starts pulling names out of a hat. Your name is on a label, which you go and put onto one of a multitude of consumer goods. There is a long table, and pile along one side of the banquet piled high with TVs, VCR/DVD players, Chainsaws, Power washers, electric scooters, Mountain bikes, Compressors, Men's Watches, Drills, Playstations, ... et cetera.

Usefull stuff.

Phooey. I grabbed a 150$ gift certificate (Best Buy) and left as soon as could. Mrs. SealPoet got a door prize of a 50$ gift for a restaurant.

Spend an evening pretending to have a good time for money... Just another corporate slut.

Sadly, it probably will require a near collapse of the consumer economy here for the greedy pigs to take congnisance of having pooped in their own nest . . .

My company has a Christmas party at the Cadillac Bar in Houston, where you get dinner, buy your own drinks, then get as plastered as hell while dancing to awful music. They give out door prizes, too. I never go.

I believe you are right, setanta. I have long said that what this country needs is a lesson in humility: a replay of the Great Depresssion of the 30s. Without it, the social progress of a Roosevelt seems impossible.

When I started working in the power plant, they gave turkeys for Christmas. The last year I was there, they held a drawing. The lucky winner won the turkey. That's one turkey instead of the 80 they used to give away. I didn't want one anyway.

edgarblythe wrote:


Has it ever been different. It is basically a supply and demand situation. When labor is scarce wages go up and when it is plentiful labor gets squeezed. however, whatever the situation the aim is to get it at the lowest possible cost.

No. It doesn't have to be that way. Some companies actually do care.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/15/offbeat.shoe.factory.ap/

SAS Shoes give bonus of 1000$ for every year of service.

I'm also thinking of the head of Malden Mills (manufacturors of Polartec Fleece)... The mill burned down. The owner paid the employees full wages while the plant was being rebuilt.

well, the problem you all are failing to recognize is that in the New World Order of Karl Rove, Santa has been outed as a LIBERAL. Yes, it's true Santa has been identified by both Scalia and Ashcroft as being generous, openhanded and broadminded bringing gifts to children and adults of all socio-economic, racial, political and religious persuasions. Reindeer will be sacrificed as terrorists for traversing international borders without proper authority from Tom Ridge and the elves are to be held at Gitmo for an undermined amount of time for wearing funny yet, unclearly unmarked uniforms. Bush to appoint security panel to investigate Easter Bunny for hiding eggs of sediton in Green Party baskets. Video at 11.

au1929
In the 50s and at least early 60s I recall the big companies as feeling it their duty to keep Americans working. Then we gradually slipped a bit, until we hit the landslide slip of the past decade or so. We have returned to the time of Hoover and principled greed for the rich.

Dys
They are putting fear and lust for blood in the children's stockings - with loving care.

I started to write something long about new driver me in L.A., but it rambled a bit too much without a clear enough point.

I do think it has two sides. The companies used to be able to count on their employees staying for a long time, even straight through until retirement. Searching for, hiring, and training new employees is expensive. When the employees have the mercenary attitude that GeorgeT describes and jump ship the minute another ship looks better, it contributes to that overall atmosphere of "what have you done for me lately" from both employer and employee. Bonuses then become less about showing true appreciation than about calculating what amount will maximize profits, taking into account the cost of employee turnover.

It's hard to have loyalty for a company that hires part time to shirk benefits and pay.

Then downsizes at the drop of a hat - or moves out of the country.