Christmas bonus

Everyone at our location receives a $50 gift card to a local department store. This is paid for from our human resources employee entertainment budget. Everyone receives the same amount regardless of whether they are hourly or salaried.

Where I work now, all 3 of the women employees got a $500 check for a bonus this year. It's a small company, just us 3 and the boss, but it is most definitely appreciated. The boss is also good about taking us to lunch every now and then and giving us a bonus when we're going on vacation, as well as a check in a birthday card. We have no benefits, except flex-time...and this is what all of us were looking for when we found the job. Our husbands have benefits through their jobs, and we just wanted flex-time. My husband has worked for the county goverment for 29-1/2 years (Yeah! He can retire next summer), and has a wonderful pension built up. He has great benefits all the way around, good pay, at least a dozen days off a year in addition to his vacation...but no bonus. I get the bonus and he gets all the benefits and a great pension after 30 years. I've worked in other companies where it was based on longeviety...the longer you worked there, the larger your bonus. I really liked that idea. Most of the companies I've worked for usually gave a week's pay as a Christmas bonus. I'd say I picked the right companies as far as I'm concerned. Just remember, sometimes the benefits you get are better than getting a bonus once a year.

some companys are better than others.

I'm a Loval Government Officer and I don't get a bonus either, however, a couple of years ago our Director did allow all staff to book an additional 1 hour off to accomodate the Xmas lunch (or if you don't attend an extra 1 hour credit) so I suppose that's a bonus in a way. When I have served my first 25 years in the job (in a couple of years time) I get a long service award of an additional day's leave. Sometimes I wish I was back in the private sector.

I don't work outside the home, but my husband gets a Christmas bonus. As a senior member of staff, he gets a lot more than the junior staff. Hope it is an extra biggy this year.