Christmas,Economy & LaborDEC 22, 2022

30 Times Employees Expected Something Great For A Holiday Bonus But Got These 'Insults' Instead (New Pics)

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A year-end bonus (also called a "Christmas bonus") is a reward paid to an employee at the end of the year. So if you demonstrated exceptional performance, met the key goals and hit the milestones, you can expect a monetary (but not only) reward.

And while most workers would agree that a little something is always better than nothing, in some particular cases, that’s not exactly true. In fact, bosses and managers can be really, really cheap.

As we’re all about to face what's in the end-of-year bonus for us, these people have already had it and were left with mere crumbs that cannot be called a decent ‘bonus’ from any perspective. The images speak for themselves, and I just leave the stage to them.

More pics of insulting bonuses which left people scratching their heads and thinking of a better job to start the New Year with can be found in our previous article.

We also spoke with Christine Mitterbauer, a licensed and ICF-approved career coach and serial entrepreneur who shared some insights into whether annual bonuses are a good idea, as well as what kind of bonuses are reasonable and what aren’t. Scroll down to find out what she had to say.

#1 The Company I Work For Gave Us Our “Christmas Bonus” It’s $25 For In-Store Use Only And They’re Taxing Us At The End Of The Month Whether We Use It Or Not

BeeFrogger

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200points

#2 Instead Of Giving Us A Much Needed Christmas Bonus, They Got Us A Pool/Ping Pong Table. Never Even Half Enough Time On Break Or Lunch To Even Play. Company Made ~45 Billion In Profits Last Year

Instead Of Giving Us A Much Needed Christmas Bonus, They Got Us A Pool/Ping Pong Table. Never Even Half Enough Time On Break Or Lunch To Even Play. Company Made ~45 Billion In Profits Last Year

kinsolomon

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125points

“I do think annual bonuses, whether they’re around year end or another time of year, are a great way to reward your employees and show them they’re valued by the company,” Christine Mitterbauer said.

“How you structure the bonuses depends on the kind of industry you’re in, but generally it’s always a good idea to be open and transparent in your communication to your employees. That way you reduce the chance of reality not living up to expectations.”

#3 The Company I Work For Canceled Our Yearly Bonuses/Raises And Gave Us A $5 Starbucks Gift Card And An Ornament Instead

reddit.com

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124points

#4 Girlfriend's Christmas Bonus

rollergo11

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109points

#5 Yes, That's Definitely What Happened

Blueskywindandleaves

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102points

Mitterbauer’s advice is, throughout the year, to be as honest as you can about how well the company is doing, and how that might affect bonuses. “Also, if you decide to vary the size of the bonus depending on the contribution of individual employees, be very clear and transparent about this, and ensure employees know what kind of behavior and results are rewarded,” the career coach explained.

#6 My Company’s “Christmas Bonus”

Muttandcheese

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100points

#7 My Christmas Bonus

le_eddz

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99points

#8 I Mean, I’d Rather Have The Bonus I Was Screwed Out Of, Or The 20+ Employees In My Department That Were Laid Off Right Before The Holidays, But This About Makes Up For It

I Mean, I’d Rather Have The Bonus I Was Screwed Out Of, Or The 20+ Employees In My Department That Were Laid Off Right Before The Holidays, But This About Makes Up For It

SirBearOfBrown

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99points

Mitterbauer argues that a good idea to approach an annual bonus from an employer’s perspective is to try to promise a bit less than you think the company will be able to afford when the time comes. “You’d much rather positively surprise your employees than disappoint them,” she explained.

Moreover, Mitterbauer argues that offering some people an outrageously high bonus and other people a very low one is a very bad idea. “This will just lead to envy and disappointment. Also, keep this information confidential and communicate this clearly to your employees.”

#9 I'm A Skilled Tradesman Who Is Supposed To Get A $3000 Bonus At The End Of The Year For Making The Company $150,000 In Profit, Per My Contract. I Doubled It, Which Is Supposed To Increase My Bonus. This Is What I Received. 100% Done With This Industry

I'm A Skilled Tradesman Who Is Supposed To Get A $3000 Bonus At The End Of The Year For Making The Company $150,000 In Profit, Per My Contract. I Doubled It, Which Is Supposed To Increase My Bonus. This Is What I Received. 100% Done With This Industry

itstinyrick86

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96points

#10 Not From A Child’s Birthday Party. This Is Legit Our “Company Christmas Gift” (We Don’t Get Bonuses)

MissHellWest

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90points

#11 Walmart Holiday Bonus

PieCrafted

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89points

Planning and preparing months before is also a good strategy. “Ensure especially your top-performing employees remain happy. Again, you’d rather underpromise and overdeliver. If money is tight, think about how you can reward them with other things like promotions, extra training, flexible working, etc.”

“If in doubt,” Mitterbauer argues, “have a meeting with them way before bonuses are decided about what would make them happy to stay working with the company. Keep the question open-ended and really listen to your employees. Then generate some creative ideas and have them ready once you know what the bonus pool actually looks like.”