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Well although I work my ring off all year, for the last 3 years a Christmas bonus has not been forthcoming and morale is low. Most of us contribute £5 or £10 a week to a Christmas fund which has kinda become our pseudo-bonus. I don't agree with bonuses if the company is in trouble, but by the same token, it doesn't hurt to spread a few quid around when times are rosy

helefra wrote: So tell me, do you get a Christmas bonus


Christmas bonus?? Eh?

I got one last year, but because of the type job I have,I may not get one every year. Does not bother me, though.

The company put £15 per employee towards a Christmas meal but don't consider me to be an employee so I get to pay.

The agency used to send a Port & Stilton package but that stopped about 5 years ago.

Staff also get 10% of sallary as proffit sharing bonus but again, I'm not staff.

The tax man tells me I cannot treat myself to "entertainment" on the company.

At the moment we have lots of leaving do's to go to.

On the other hand, we go out a couple of time a month for a curry and the company usually throw an end of project party after implementation so it's not all bad.

I'm a civic employee. I get to work on Christmas.

Xmas Bonus... not so common here. We get a corporate party that is ok....

helefra wrote: Thanks for your comments there Marie, Pinky, Bryn and Minks. My goodness Bryn, it seems a bit unfair on your share of Christmas times at work dos. Never mind though, it is the party and the time sharing a meal together that makes it all worthwhile.


They're becoming very anti contractor since we were taken over by the Scots but they do pay for the priveledge

I'm my own boss and I pay myself as much of a bonus as I feel inclined to.

My boss is a mean old git and never pays me any bonuses.

helefra wrote: Oh dear, so it is the men in skirts to blame then.:wah:


Och ey.

It hasn't been the same since :p

My bro in laws bro works for an advertising firm. Last Christmas the whole co. went to the Virgin Islands for a week.

Our co ? All the mngrs got a cruise. We got a ham. :-5

Last year I got a $50.00 gift certificate and a case of beer.woo hooo.

We used to get Christmas bonuses linked to attendance...100% attendance = 100% bonus which equaled about 2 weeks wages.....the more time off you had, the less bonus you got.

This has been stopped and we now get bonuses in March which is when get our annual pay rise...these are performance bonuses which include attendance.

This will be the first year we don't get anything at Christmas.....I think a lot of people will forget they aren't getting anything this year....hope they've budgeted accordingly !

Nomad wrote: My bro in laws bro works for an advertising firm. Last Christmas the whole co. went to the Virgin Islands for a week.

Our co ? All the mngrs got a cruise. We got a ham. :-5


Bet all those folks on the cruise were moping about and sulking that they didn't get a ham. Where's the balance when it comes to sharing the spoils?

Wendybird wrote: Could have been worse, could have been Spam.


.:yh_rotfl .

helefra wrote: That's a great idea for a Christmas bonus, it's a shame that the company won't be doing that anymore. The last firm I worked for had a system where if you didn't have a sick day off during the year, you would get £100.00 at the year end.
I once suggested an attendance bonus and additional days holiday for long-service. They said that as I'd had several years without a day off, and over 20 years service, I was only saying it for my own benefit. Although it would have been good for me personally, they kinda missed the point as we had very high absenteeism at the time. Lost productivity and paying for temps cost them much more in the long term

helefra wrote: Wow, your firm obviously like their staff. No guessing what happened to you over Christmas then - legless.:yh_giggle
Actually I only have few beers on Christmas. I always said that Christmas was mostly for the kids so I save my parting till new years.

helefra wrote: Good for you saving it until New Years - wise choice.
Ya. My parents did the same thing and it was great. I had friends growing up the would come over to my house at Christmas cause there parents were drunk. I felt bad for them.

helefra wrote: It's nice to know that there are good people out there to lend a hand when someone else doesn't. At least your friends had someone who was there for them and I'm sure they will always remember that. :-6
It's funny you should say that. A few weeks ago I went to a dance and met a old friend there that I have not seen in years. We sat and had a few beers and talk about old times and he brought that up. He said he will always remember Christmas at my house.

helefra wrote: I'm not surprised that he would have brought it into the conversation but my mum would often say to me - "It's not what you say that counts, it's what you do". Those words are still true today.
Your mom is very wise. Action speaks loader than words is something my parents instilled in me as well.

helefra wrote: Never mind Bill, try sitting outside in worn out clothes in a busy street with an old tin cup and ask people for spare change.:wah:


for some, the christmas bonus is part of their yearly income, for others, just a reward for work well done. for me.it's a mystery since i only had one in my whole corparate life, and it barely bought me a tank of gas. but the managers would always be able to buy a new car on theirs. ever wonder what they did to earn it? i always did, but it never helped.:-5 :-4