Have you ever gotten a bonus at work?

@saundyl (9783)
Canada
April 10, 2009 2:02pm CST
Yesterday my boss came out of his office just before my co-worker and i left for the long weekend (gotta love long weekends!) and he gave us each a cheque and said we had had a really good first quarter and he was giving us each a bonus. It was totally unexpected and a really nice surprise. Not sure what i will do with it yet - pay off more of my student loan, save it, save it for a trip to see my bf, or do something else fun with part of it. Have you ever gotten a bonus at work? Was it expected or unexpected? what do you do with bonuses? 4
1 person likes this
11 responses
10 Apr 09
I've only ever had one. I spent part of it on a hotel for a weekend in London with my partner - and she spent most of it shopping on Oxford Street! The company I worked for at the time mostly did 'extras' rather than cash bonuses, though - they'd take the team out for an evening meal or a couple of days away or something. Or they'd buy in a load of food and little gifts and we'd spend the afternoon bumming around enjoying ourselves. Great company: shame it went downhill after 9/11.
2 people like this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
10 Apr 09
Thats too bad. My boss often takes us all out for birthday dinners and christmas so those are nice bonuses too..and we recently got health insurance through work.
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@GardenGerty (157050)
• United States
11 Apr 09
We often get nice little gifts and recognitions as well. Even with the economy headed downhill we got four in the last half of the year last year. Everything from a $20 gift card and a nice company logo shirt to the equivalent of a weeks salary as a Christmas gift. Other things in between, as well.
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@GardenGerty (157050)
• United States
11 Apr 09
We often get nice little gifts and recognitions as well. Even with the economy headed downhill we got four in the last half of the year last year. Everything from a $20 gift card and a nice company logo shirt to the equivalent of a weeks salary as a Christmas gift. Other things in between, as well.
1 person likes this
@cobra1368 (702)
• United States
11 Apr 09
We get a bonus every year; however, it is dependent upon how the company has done as a whole for the past year. My last two weren't nearly as large as the first one I got for the company. Our bonuses are typically treated like tax money in our house: we spend it on the house! We bought a 50" plasma TV for the basement, and a microfiber sectional couch. We've painted a few rooms and bought random other pieces of furniture with past bonuses. I think we went to Disney World last year using some bonus money. Bonuses are the bomb! :)
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
13 Apr 09
thats awesome. I'm so tempted to get a tv but then i think hmmmm i should just order propane or put it on my student loan or save it.
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
11 Apr 09
In the past, I have ALWAYS gotten a bonus after tax season. Last year it was more than I had expected. I'm kinda counting on it this year because I had to drain all my savings a month or so ago. I'm hoping that the economy isn't going to have a bad effect on what I think I should be getting. I usually get a bonus around the holidays too. And every now and then my boss will give me an extra boost. One night I had mentioned that my husband and I were going to this one place for dinner and my boss reached in his pocket and handed me a $20 bill saying "Have an extra margarita!"
1 person likes this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
13 Apr 09
That's awesome - sounds like you really get along with your boss as well.
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@uicbear (1900)
• United States
11 Apr 09
We don't really get a bonus. Every year in May we get a lump sum of a few hundred extra dollars thrown into our retirement funds from company profit sharing. When they first started profit sharing we were given the option of getting half in cash, bu ti think this was probably an accounting nightmare, so that was only offered one year. I'll take it nonetheless. My sister-in-law gets a bonus check from her job on a quarterly basis. It's a big boost for her and she plans around what she's going to use it for. Even with the bad economy and her bosses hinting that the bonuses might not be that good, she was still very happy.
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@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
13 Apr 09
The profit sharing going into a retirement fund is a really neat idea. I bet it was an accounting nightmare - even bonuses they have to show with taxes and stuff on your paystubs i think.
@smelz23 (190)
• Philippines
11 Apr 09
For me i did not experienced on giving bonuses from my company. I think it is because i have just finish my first year here in my company. I don't like to expect that they will give me some bonuses because it will only ruin my life if i expected too much on that and they will not give isn't it? i will just do my work as a part of a team in our company just that.
1 person likes this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
13 Apr 09
I never expected to get one so it was quite a nice surprise!
@sammyspam (374)
• Australia
11 Apr 09
I got a cash bonus last christmas which was great. Here in Australia we don't have any holiday bonuses and it was a nice present and it definetly made me feel appreciated!
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@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
13 Apr 09
Its awesome to feel apprecaited - we've never had bonuses before where i am and ive been there 3 years.
@GardenGerty (157050)
• United States
11 Apr 09
We get occasional small bonuses, and we get Christmas bonuses. I like to use them just for me whenever possible. I earned them, after all. I am not sure what I will do with the next one I get. I do hope you do something fun.
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
11 Apr 09
I'm still ntrying to decide - really tempted to get a wii fit if i can find one but then im also tempted to get neat fences for my flower beds...its kinda hard to decide!
• Philippines
12 Apr 09
How lucky for you. I've never gotten a bonus from the company where I used to work. The only bonus I and my colleagues got were those 500 pesos cash that an agent sometimes gave to us during Christmas.
• United States
11 Apr 09
I did get a bonus once at work, for being one of the highest producers on a certain project. It felt really good to be recognized for something I had been working hard at for months. A simple "thanks, you did an excellent job" would've made me feel great, but receiving the bonus was, of course, a welcomed extra that I won't forget!
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@smelz23 (190)
• Philippines
13 Apr 09
me either. and i like surprises!
@pavan4568 (122)
• India
11 Apr 09
Yah, i got the same way for this quarter. It was a great surprise to me last monday, i woke up and just saw the message in my mobile "Bonus for this quarter credited" and straight away plugged in my internet connection, logged into my bank account and validated the credit. For a moment, i did not even believe that bonus credited even though i saw the amount in my account online because i was not at all expecting bonus this quarter, not only me none of my colleagues because of recession, so it was sign of relief.