If anyone wonders why "employees" aren't loyal anymore!

[numbercruncher75]

I work in finance, so yesterday all the salaried employees get called to a meeting with CFO and the owner to talk about year end bonuses. Short of it the company hasn't had a good years so no one is getting bonuses or christmas gifts this year and freezes raises for next year. Kinda stinks but what do you do. Well directly out of this meeting the CFO comes to the payroll manager and directs her to cut him a 5 figure bonus check for christmas. Bad thing is I get to review all payroll checks for accuracy before they go out as an internal audit control.. What the *@8@. Guess the bad year doesn't apply to the ones ultimately responsible . He then proceeds to inadvertently leave the check lying on the copier all office employees use. Talk about a few bad attitudes flying around this morning and little bit of "loyalty to the company" lost.

 

[mickeyboat]

I feel your pain. Do you work at my company?

Denae

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Disgusting.....I also despise the practice of letting dedicated employees know that they are "let go" at this time of year......

Also, can I say here, it does not matter how loyal you are, they never appreciate it anyway....

 

[Good Ol Gal]

yeah.. they cut hours like crazy where I work so the bottom line looks good and the big wigs get their big fat check at the end of the year.

remind me again why I work so hard???

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Since when do companies "owe" employees year-end/holiday/Christmas bonuses? I always looked at these as "gifts"; not something I expected or felt the company was obligated to give me. When I started my job, I negotiated a salary that was equitable for the work I did and annually I renegotiate it. Beyond being paid for the work I do, I don't believe the company owes me anything else. If they choose to give me something extra, it's great, but not expected.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

But what if part of your negotiated salary was a bonus at Christmas and a raise yearly.....some people truly count on those bonuses...

One more thought here.. hugs to you numbercruncher, I am sorry that you did not receive a bonus for a job well done all year.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

That's bad, I would be fuming mad and would lose all loyalty to the company for awhile.

 

[Hercules10]

I've worked in finance/accounting for going on 11 years now. From A/P to my current investing duties.

My tip is to treat checks as what they are. Numbers and nothing else. You can go postal seeing outrageous 'consulting' checks to salaried executives and reimbursing the human resource director for trips to the girlie bar.

It takes a while to get use to, but it isn't worth the aggrevation. They're just numbers.

 

[C.Ann]

Disgusting.....I also despise the practice of letting dedicated employees know that they are "let go" at this time of year....

-----------------------------

The last place I worked was notorious for that.. I was there for two Christmases and both times, the Friday before Christmas, they axed a number of employees at the end of the day - with no explanation whatesoever..

 

[Pugsley]

Since when do companies "owe" employees year-end/holiday/Christmas bonuses?

Um, I'm not seeing where the OP (or anyone else) said that the company "owes" them a bonus. I think it frustrated them that the boss announced that and then immediately turned around and gave himself a bonus. Which I agree stinks.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Disgusting.....I also despise the practice of letting dedicated employees know that they are "let go" at this time of year......

Unfortunately as far as most companies go -- Dec 31st is their year end, so any cuts they need to make usually have to be done before year end to affect the next year's budget.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I understand why it is done........just the timing is so bad, it is Christmas..oops I meant the Holidays.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

But what if part of your negotiated salary was a bonus at Christmas and a raise yearly.....some people truly count on those bonuses...

IF that is part of my contract with the company, then obviously it is expected. However, in all the years I've been employed, I've never worked anywhere where an annual bonus and/or salary increase was part of my contract or something that was guaranteed by the employer. (I've never held a union job though.)

If it is not part of your contract or salary agreement, then you have no business expecting it. At that point, it is a gift. I don't know about anyone else, but I was reared never to expect gifts.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Since when do companies "owe" employees year-end/holiday/Christmas bonuses? I always looked at these as "gifts"; not something I expected or felt the company was obligated to give me. When I started my job, I negotiated a salary that was equitable for the work I did and annually I renegotiate it. Beyond being paid for the work I do, I don't believe the company owes me anything else. If they choose to give me something extra, it's great, but not expected.

i dont think companies OWE people a bonus but if you are eligible for one andthey say they cant give as they company didtn perform and then the cfo takes a 5 figure one then thats an issue

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Um, I'm not seeing where the OP (or anyone else) said that the company "owes" them a bonus. I think it frustrated them that the boss announced that and then immediately turned around and gave himself a bonus. Which I agree stinks.

The OP made it sound like there was an expectation of a bonus. Expecation... owes... same difference to me.

It sounds like there is no specific contract guaranteeing a bonus from the company, so no expectation should be made. However, the CFO may have just such a stipulation in his/her contract or salary negotiation. If so, there is nothing wrong here. Just a lot of poorly managed expectations.

 

[Bob Slydell]

IF that is part of my contract with the company, then obviously it is expected. However, in all the years I've been employed, I've never worked anywhere where an annual bonus and/or salary increase was part of my contract or something that was guaranteed by the employer. (I've never held a union job though.)

There's a local company (not a union shop) that for years was famous for their huge bonuses -- it was always news when they released their bonus figures of like 50, 60, 70% or more).

Turns out, I worked with someone who came from that company -- he was hired in with a package that factored in that bonus. When he got hired, the overall package was awesome. Problem was, the company gradually cut bonuses over years and didn't increase salaries accordingly, so by the time he left, he was making thousands less than when he hired in.

It's not common practice, but yes, there are some companies that will include estimated bonuses as part of employee's compensation packages.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

i dont think companies OWE people a bonus but if you are eligible for one andthey say they cant give as they company didtn perform and then the cfo takes a 5 figure one then thats an issue

If the CFO arranged this as part of his/her contract, there is no issue at all. Obviously, no one here knows everything involved in this, thus I find all the moral outrage very amusing.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I've worked in finance/accounting for going on 11 years now. From A/P to my current investing duties.

My tip is to treat checks as what they are. Numbers and nothing else. You can go postal seeing outrageous 'consulting' checks to salaried executives and reimbursing the human resource director for trips to the girlie bar.

It takes a while to get use to, but it isn't worth the aggrevation. They're just numbers.

Yep this is exactly what I do. Just numbers on a paper because it would make me crazy and I would have to quit my job otherwise.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I have taught my daughters this expression.. it is a hard one to learn, but nonetheless, here it is..

If you do not expect anything, then you will never be disappointed.. I apply it to friends, business, family.

I only spoke about negotiated bonuses etc as I do know that it is done in some businesses and speak from experience. I hope I did not sound like "moral outrage."

 

[Tigger_Magic]

If you do not expect anything, then you will never be disappointed.. I apply it to friends, business, family.

Very true and the same lesson I pass along in my family.

I only spoke about negotiated bonuses etc as I do know that it is done in some businesses and speak from experience. I hope I did not sound like "moral outrage."

Not at all.