The "Worst Year-End Bonus Ever" Thread

[barbeml]

I know there was a thread like this in the past, but I'm sure there are more horror stories to share!

My story is from a friend. His bonus went down hill as follows:

Two weeks pay and a turkey, plus a nice party for all staff.
Next year: One weeks pay and a turkey, nice staff lunch.
Next year: A turkey and a nice staff lunch.
Next year: A turkey for staff, management took themselves to lunch.
Next year: A poinsettia.
Next year: Three clothespins glued together to resemble a reindeer, colored with brown magic marker.

 

[FirstTimertoDiz]

Here's mine:

First Year- 2 weeks pay, plus dinner out at a nice restaurant (spouse invited too)

Second Year- 1 week pay, lunch out at a restaurant (no spouse invites)

Third Year- Lunch catered in for employees

Fourth Year- Tee shirts with the company name on them (can anyone say free marketing??)

Fifth Year- A generic card stamped with the managers names (they couldn't even sign the card!)

Oh, and the whole time, the management were continuing to receive bonuses and meals for Christmas. Not only that, but we were expected to contribute money towards a gift for management each year, while we got nothing.

BTW, I left that company, and now they are no longer in business.

 

[dodukes]

Wow, and i thought that our office was bad!!

 

[Chicago526]

Next year: Three clothespins glued together to resemble a reindeer, colored with brown magic marker.

Wow, I made that in a 3rd grade art project, only we used brown paint rather than a marker...

DH gets no bonus and has to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. At least he gets paid double time for Christmas Day!

 

[MomofKatie]

DH gets nothing.

 

[disney junky]

What's a year end Christmas bonus?

 

[beck0321]

WOW! I get no bonus, EVER. And a proposed cost-of-living pay raise for state workers was just shot down yesterday. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to us I guess!!!

Even when I worked part time at a local grocery store in college, we all got a free turkey. My dad liked that! Hee!

 

[Todd&Copper]

I get no bonus at all. Just a card signed by the manager of the government contract I work under.
DH used to get a gift card to a local grocery store for either $25 or $50, and back when he worked retail at Haggar, he got a smoked turkey.

 

[monsterkitty]

I can beat that!

As a teacher, we don't get bonuses and I would never expect one. However, three years ago, the district ran out of money so they couldn't even pay us! We went from November 30 to February 14 with no pay.

When they finally paid us, we considered our checks to be our Valantines gifts!

 

[LoveWDW]

Oh my, those are sad, especially the teacher with no pay!

I am self-employed so no bonus. I suppose I could give myself a bonus, only it would cost me money.

 

[sk8ingmom]

Too many complain about 'overhead' in non-profits. Yup, that's me 'overhead'. No bonus for me.
ETA : I take my one emplyee out to lunch on my own dime.

 

[oxfordcircus]

I can beat that!

As a teacher, we don't get bonuses and I would never expect one. However, three years ago, the district ran out of money so they couldn't even pay us! We went from November 30 to February 14 with no pay.

When they finally paid us, we considered our checks to be our Valantines gifts!

2.5 months with no pay. I'm impressed by your dedication. Usually when a company/organization can't make payroll, that's the end of that organization.

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

We once got checks for $67.49 because the "accountant" made an "error" in calculating the "bonuses" which were supposedly going to be a "round number". No checks were issued to make up the difference of the "error" either.

 

[Forevryoung]

No school work for 3 weeks (and I still get paid my $523 for the month!)

I have used a small forest this semester in paper for assignments and I have three assignments left, better get moving so I can get my bonus!

 

[CathrynRose]

At an old job....

A $5 gift card to Blockbuster from not one - but TWO of the bosses, both our Director and VP. Both making 6 figures, and we got a $5 giftcard to Blockbuster.

Me and another girl asked if anyone wanted ours cuz "This wont even cover my late charges I have racked up"

 

[theycallmered]

Last year, at the company I use to work for, we were invited to go to a company holiday party. It was a buffet, however by the time I had made it through the line there was hardly any food left.

Throughout the party they were raffleing off prizes, however there were not enough prizes for all the employees! I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate to Olive Garden. Nice right?

No! It was only for $10. Unless you are going by yourself for the $5.00 soup and salad lunch there is no way you can go to Olive Garden and eat. The certificate ended up costing me money to use because I did not want to eat by myself or only have soup and salad.

Really, I would have rather recieved nothing rather than a $10.00 gift certificate. Thanks for nothing.

 

[barkley]

here's mine-

years 1-15 no bonus. years 1-15 if we wanted to pay for ourselves to go out to lunch (had one manager for 3 years that treated us) we had to use vacation or leave time (only got 30 minutes lunch and we were not remotely located near any restaurants). in the latter years we were forbidden to do 'holiday' or 'christmas' potlucks at the workplace because the p.c. 'cops' said it might be interpreted to be related to 'certain' religious holidays(duh! ) and be offensive to employees who did not observe those holidays.

my former co-workers just got the great 'holiday' news that their contract which expired in 10/05 has finaly been settled to the tune of a lump sum ($62.50 for each month 10/05-10/07 prorated if you've not been there the whole time) payment to cover 10/05-10/07 at which time the contract will be re-negotiated. the icing on the 'fruit cake' is their insurance share of cost increasing to double the $62.50 each month with quadrupled co-pays and perscriptions. the managers got a 7 1/2 % raise and increased employer contribution to the health plan RETRO.

ho-ho-ho

 

[Cindy's Mom]

NONE: DH and I both work for government.

 

[Crankyshank]

DH has been working his butt off doing disconnect orders for work on his own time because they are overworked and tremendously under staffed. We're talking 20hrs a week on top of his normal 50-60hr work week.

His boss was getting a "bounty" for the disconnects. In other words, he was getting paid a bonus for the work DH was doing. That bonus is being used to throw a Christmas party. DH is getting only overtime. He wasn't told this bounty exists.

the guys deserve the party even though it was DH essentially sacrificing his health and his family to do this work because of the unbelievable pressure his boss was putting on him to get it done and done immediately and not offering him any time to do it during business hours. The fact he wasn't told about the bounty or offered some of it to DH for his hard work was the issue.

and there's no bonus for him or for me.

 

[Planogirl]

We got an email from the CEO sent out by some guy in the communications department. It definitely gave me a warm cozy feeling.