Xmas Bonuses, Festive Foods and Parties

[GMX]

I was wondering, following a discussion with MOT tester mate yesterday, how mean or generous, other employers are. 

The company my mate works for is significantly larger than mine, but he doesn't  get a fraction of what we give our staff.

They have to pay to attend their Xmas party (not even at a company subsidised rate but the full restaurant price), they only get a £50 Xmas bonus and they don't get anything festive food wise.

In contrast, we give everyone a £500 Xmas bonus, a 50lb turkey, three bottles of wine and a box of Thorntons chocolates.  We provide an fully funded Xmas meal with a free bar, for everyone plus a spouse or guest.  We move wages day forwards, so they'll have money to spend before Xmas not during it (It's usually 3rd Thursday of the month) 

What does everyone else receive: or not??

[iantt]

That's generous!! Last place I worked you didn't even get an Xmas card. Back in 1990's I used to get around £1000 Xmas bonus. Don't think I will get a thankyou from current employer who I'm leaving at end of month! Lol . No loss there.

[GaryPL]

I have had all sorts of Christmas specials. Your company does sound rather generous though, especially compared to the new disgusting levels of corporate greed out there - I am looking at you amazon, Sports Direct and pretty much any FTSE 250 company.

Current job gets me sweet FA. Literally nothing.  As I am paid by the taxpayer, I am sure you will all be glad to hear that.  We used to get paid a little early which in effect costs them nothing, but now our payday is mid-month and we don't need it.

A previous job at a now defunct food delivery company would give us a whole £20 voucher and the depot manager would let us all help ourselves to unsold goods. It was paid weekly, so early pay day was not needed.

My royal mail job gave us all £100 in the wage packet and a book of (I think 50 odd) 1st class stamps. Again, paid weekly.

Where I cut my teeth as an engineering apprentice, they threw an all expenses paid ball, usually at a stadium. Paid weekly.

[Dennis the meance]

Profit related bonus which is 1500 pound this year and then Xmas party with 3course meal and free bar this year next Tuesday night with a paid extra holiday to attend 

[alexp999]

We get a profit related bonus at Christmas, 3 course Christmas meal with drinks, and historically a present of an alcoholic beverage plus box of chocolates.

Only a small company though.

[Guest]

No Christmas bonus, generous bonus in March each year. But a 3 course meal, free bar and a nightclub with bottles and section reserved for us tomorrow! 

[JIMMWX]

3 hours ago, GMX said:

 

In contrast, we give everyone a £500 Xmas bonus, a 50lb turkey, three bottles of wine and a box of Thorntons chocolates.  We provide an fully funded Xmas meal with a free bar, for everyone plus a spouse or guest.  We move wages day forwards, so they'll have money to spend before Xmas not during it (It's usually 3rd Thursday of the month) 

What does everyone else receive: or not??

 

I'm coming to work for your company :-)

I've worked in a few places now and to say there has been variation is an understatement.

Have had bonuses in the past, have normally had the company pay for my Christmas do (luckily) etc.  As much as it was nice to have had a Christmas Bonus in some other firms, after being out of work for one of the Christmas's I am just grateful to be employed now and am content with that. :-)

[Tom-B64]

Usually the company I work for have two, a fancy one up in London and then a smaller one local to everyone. This year we just had the small local one which involved a 3 course meal paid for and a free bar, followed my a pub crawl which was also paid for! We got a bonus this year as well because we didn't do the fancy party in London which was fine by me 

[jmurray01]

I think I'll come and work for you Ghana!!

My last job gave a £150 bonus, paid a week early (monthly salary), a Christmas meal out fully funded by the company, with as many drinks as everybody wanted and closing early on Christmas Eve, then closed for the week after.

Current job is open every day except Christmas day and Boxing day (they would have us working them too if they could!), no Christmas bonus (we're "lucky" just to get our basic salary) and no Christmas meal, unless you count a few snacks in the meeting room which the staff have to buy and bring in. 

That's the difference between working in a small office as opposed to a call-centre.  The former has to treat their staff fairly and well to keep them working effectively, whereas the latter doesn't care because they have the opinion that "there are plenty more staff where they came from" if anybody resigns.

[Joss max]

I get a whole £10.00 Christmas bonus from the state. No party, No free bar No nothing else. I am disabled and unable to work. No 50lb turkey (would that even fit in the oven?)

Looking for suggestions for how to spend my £10.00 bonus lol.

I don't drink, I don't smoke.

Wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

[Pullock]

1 hour ago, Joss max said:

I get a whole £10.00 Christmas bonus from the state. No party, No free bar No nothing else. I am disabled and unable to work. No 50lb turkey (would that even fit in the oven?)

Looking for suggestions for how to spend my £10.00 bonus lol.

I don't drink, I don't smoke.

Wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

My dad is also disabled and he got that too, what do you people spend that amount of money on?! 

[GMX]

We  do have two profit sharing based bonus schemes but they're not Xmas related. 

One is tied to our end of business year, mid November and is for everyone.  The other is for any individual or group (if it's collective thing),  if you spot a way the business can save costs, improve efficiency or you bring more business in; you get a percentage of the savings or the sales, as long as you continue to work for us.

 

7 hours ago, iantt said:

That's generous!! Last place I worked you didn't even get an Xmas card. Back in 1990's I used to get around £1000 Xmas bonus. Don't think I will get a thankyou from current employer who I'm leaving at end of month! Lol . No loss there.

You would've thought they would givne you a Corsa/Zafira and sack of chestnuts, so you could have an open fire at Xmas, and something to roast on it

2 hours ago, Joss max said:

I get a whole £10.00 Christmas bonus from the state.

When that was introduced in 1972, it was meant contribute to significant proportion of an individual's Xmas expenses.  At the time, it is was greater than the weekly state pension/disability pension.  However, since then, it's has never been increased from the initial £10, and it's value has been eroded to a derisory amount.

Had it kept pace with inflation and the cost living, it should be around £150 mark today

 

 

[Turvey]

7 minutes ago, GMX said:

 

You would've thought they would givne you a Corsa/Zafira and sack of chestnuts, so you could have an open fire at Xmas, and something to roast on it

 

 

 

 

I work for our local council so I get a big fat zero bonus! 

Previous place I worked at(beer, wines and spirits wholesalers) we got a £10 per month worked that year bonus, ie £120 a year plus they contributed to a staff night out. We also managed to wangle a couple of kegs from suppliers to give to the hotel we were going to to help with the bar-tab 

[WES180]

7 minutes ago, Turvey said:

 

 

I work for our local council so I get a big fat zero bonus! 

 

Local Authority here too! What is this bonus thing you are all talking about anyway? 

[Zico]

Another LGA employee here. Got a couple of free drinks from my team leader at our team xmas diner last week if that counts.

[simcor]

First year this year we got a box of Ferrero Rocher from our transport manager, thanking us for all the hard work. Previous years we got sweet F A lol

 

[Stoney871]

I just get a warm fuzzy feeling for having kept honest people safe for another year.

Even a "thank you" would be something rather than some seasonally drunk fella puking on your boots.

[alexp999]

4 hours ago, Stoney871 said:

I just get a warm fuzzy feeling for having kept honest people safe for another year.

Even a "thank you" would be something rather than some seasonally drunk fella puking on your boots.

Well on behalf of all the honest people you don't have to deal with over the Christmas period, thank you. :)

[WES180]

10 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

Well on behalf of all the honest people you don't have to deal with over the Christmas period, thank you. :)

Thats nice Alex. I will probably be the drunk fella puking on his boots!

[AlexBartlam]

we had our xmas party 2 weeks ago today it was all paid for partners/guests were £40 out your pocket, bar was not free , as for our bonus we get one every 6 months and it so happens to fall on xmas which is nice its a percentage of your 6 monthly wage cant remember the percentage all i know is im getting £230

[Danny..]

Some of these responses are awesome!

As for me no bonus.... We have a roster which to decide if we work or not. 4 in 25 chance.... I've worked xmas for the last 7 years, due to the leap year ... This is my first year off though...   WHOOP!!

 

[Arwen]

I'm employed by what used to be a QUANGO. We get an emailed Christmas message and a reminder not to drink and drive each year. As department we all go out for a meal and pub crawl together (own expense). Thankfully we do get around 2 weeks off over Christmas and new year as the site shuts down. :-)

I've always worked in local government, so I'm not used to paid for meals and bonus, so no loss to me. The place is a nice place to work all year, which makes up for it! 

[TomsFocus]

17 hours ago, Joss max said:

I get a whole £10.00 Christmas bonus from the state. No party, No free bar No nothing else. I am disabled and unable to work. No 50lb turkey (would that even fit in the oven?)

Looking for suggestions for how to spend my £10.00 bonus lol.

I don't drink, I don't smoke.

Wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

I've seen that mentioned on a couple of the benefits programmes recently, I assume I'll get that as well being on ESA!?

I don't drink or smoke either...might get a box of nice biscuits and some J2Os with it and still have change...both currently on offer in Tesco.  

 

My Mums company flew them on an all expenses paid weekend trip to Europe this year!  I'd hate it tbh lol but it's definitely generous!!

 

 

[WES180]

14 hours ago, simcor said:

First year this year we got a box of Ferrero Rocher from our transport manager, thanking us for all the hard work. Previous years we got sweet F A lol

 

As much as i love Ferrero Rocher i think i would rather get my usual nothing than a £5 box of chocolates. Bit of an insulting kick in the gonads really! If you dont like them though i can PM you my address for postal!

[Lenny]

Our gifts are given out across the last three weeks before Christmas Closure,

Three weeks before Christmas we get a slip of paper to tick wheater we would like to recieve half of our €1000 bonus in the form of a tax free€500 Voucher usually for Tesco or all cash of which tax would be paid on full amount.

The following week we get the remaining €500 in our wages which is taxed, so works out at around €460 along with the voucher.

The last week before Christmas we then recieve two bottles of wine a tin of biscuits and a tin of sweets.

The past three years our General manager then meets us on the final day to provide a Christmas card containing €25 cash as a personal gift for a few pints along with a hand shake. 

I honesty can not complain the company is absolutely fantastic to work for 

to summarize that's

€500 voucher,

€460 extra in wages after tax

2 x bottles of wine, 

1 x tin of sweets

1 x tin of biscuits 

1 x Christmas Card with €25

1 x hand shake 

all of the above is even stated in my contract except for the last two on the list there.