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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect employee to say thank you for Christmas Bonus?

154 replies

Booper42 · 30/01/2017 17:21

I am self employed and at Christmas gave all my employees a generous Christmas Bonus - out of the 7 employees only 3 thanked me for their Bonus. I have waited for the others to at least say thankyou or acknowledge that they have recieved the money (sent via online banking). One of the employees has now asked for more money - if she didn't appreciate the £500 I gave her, why should I give her anymore especially when she doesn't appear to be putting in a great deal of effort into her work at the moment!

Is it me, or is this how employees are these days?

OP posts:
7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 20:43

A job is far more than simply the pay check at the end and if that's the only motivation for staff then we aren't the employer for them.

For most people a job is just the pay check. You sound like you don't want to be around anyone who isn't absolutely in love with you, your company and your work. I couldn't stand a boss that arrogant Hmm

ClarkL · 30/01/2017 21:03

7sunshine I disagree, there is nothing arrogant about having pride in your business and wanting those involved in it to also take pride in what they do, I want their motivation to be career progression, enjoying the feedback from customers, knowing that they have a safe and stable work environment.
In the OP case the bonus was extra money, sometimes our bonus includes letting someone leave early if they have a date, or come in late, using work facilities on personal projects, ordering in food if people are working late.
An employee's car was broken and he couldn't afford a replacement, we purchased a car for him which he paid us back for through overtime, when it was available and when it suited him around having his kids every other weekend. So yeah, if a staff member turned up and told me the extra mile we go to to look after them wasn't enough, wasn't appreciated or we didn't get any acknowledgement then they really do need to look elsewhere for another job. We provide the best service for our customers because our staff get excited and enjoy coming into work

Llanali · 30/01/2017 21:11

I've said thank you for my pay rises but not to my managers.... I work for a huge multinational, our bonus is calculated centrally from pre Specified metrics. We track our incentive scheme achievement by an app, and then our bonus appears two months after the end of that quarter.

To who would I thank? The head of U.K.? HR who put the scheme together? My colleague who contribute to the 30% area team quotient?

JustAnotherPoster00 · 30/01/2017 21:14

ClarkL Do you pay an actual real living wage or the mandated 'national living' wage?

Original poster
Booper42 · 30/01/2017 21:14

I don't think that my employees need to 'love' me - and they deserved something extra at the end of the year, I just think that a simple text to say thank you would have gone a long way, instead of feeling as if they just take whatever they can out of me.

The woman who has asked for an pay increase thanked me for her xmas bonus two days before asking me for the rise - it felt a bit pre-meditated and to be honest, she is not going to get any more money until I see an improvement in her work - that money could be invested to grow the Company.

Maybe I should not treat employees as if they are friends, and should start to offer performance based bonuses - that way, they don't have to thank me, and I don't have to give them an increase if they haven't earned it.

OP posts:
JustAnotherPoster00 · 30/01/2017 21:16

instead of feeling as if they just take whatever they can out of me.

Poor hard done by boss, do you share all of the profit the company makes with your employess?

happypoobum · 30/01/2017 21:17

Booper you haven't really explained whether you advised the staff about the bonuses. Is it possible they don't know what the extra money was/haven't even noticed/think it's a mistake? Or did you write and tell them?

If the latter, I think it would be polite to say thank you.

Strongmummy · 30/01/2017 21:18

You see ClarkL, if you're setting out clear objectives to your staff and make clear there is a reward for achieving those objectives and within your annual budget you account for bonuses (like most sensible companies do) then as an employee, if I achieve those targets and the business has made it's operating margin, I am OWED that bonus. I might say thanks, but as an employer you should not expect it. I'm lucky, I work in finance and get big bonuses if I achieve my objectives. I can't remember ever once saying thanks as it's owed to me. Once I did ask them to rethink my bonus or risk losing me however.

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 21:36

You say you want your employees to have pride in the job and that earns them the bonus along with their work. But you also said if they didn't say thank you for something they earned, and deserved and that would be seen as a 'thank you' from the company you would not give them a bonus again and would consider the position at your company.

If you fired someone for not saying thank you when they worked hard enough to earn a bonus then you open yourself up to a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.

BoomBoomsCousin · 30/01/2017 21:41

I don't think Booper has suggested she fire her staff for not saying thank you!

SellFridges · 30/01/2017 21:41

I say thank you when my manager gives me my bonus letter, and thank him for his support. But my bonus is contractual so I don't go further than that.

If I get a performance award then I am certain to personally thank anyone involved in giving me that award. I've received one recently and will be buying the team I worked with on this project a small gift each as I don't think their managers have recognised them in the same way.

ClarkL · 30/01/2017 21:42

The work is repetitive, think factory/manual labour with skilled elements. Other than complete work on time, adhere to health and safety there aren't objectives to be set. There are just 2 people customer facing, one of whom is my husband. We have a set contingency fund for things going wrong, being broken and time lost due to not meeting standards typically the less that gets broken the more money there is avaliable for a cash bonus, if they damage too much it's our profits it comes out of. We have 2 unskilled staff being paid above minimum wage and a uniform provided, when we had an apprentice as well as the set apprentice wage his bus fair was also paid for. So in short, no we don't pay minimum wage. I think alot of you forget the blood sweat and tears that goes into starting a business, in the early years when we'd paid salaries, rents etc more often than not my husband was not even earning minimum wage so now, not all profit will go back to staff because frankly were the ones who risked everything and still do.

DJBaggySmalls · 30/01/2017 21:43

Booper42

Did you tell them you had sent them a bonus?
If not how are they expected to know?

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 21:47

I think alot of you forget the blood sweat and tears that goes into starting a business How is that your employees problem? You can't hold it against them how hard it was to start your business.

Apprentice wages are way below minimum wage - if its unskilled work what is the apprentice actually learning?

You said earlier you have good H&S - why should they be grateful for something you should be doing anyway?

How much above min wage are you paying? More than £1 above it? Even McDonalds pays more than min wage.

ClarkL · 30/01/2017 21:48

Also to clarify in our case a bonus is not contractual, we have never and will never sack someone for not saying thank you, but fit in a company is important, if someone doesn't like our management approach or business ethics then they should look elsewhere where they will be happier

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 21:54

They always say thank you, and if they didn't we'd be considering if they fit within our culture.

You said this. This is saying that you would consider firing them for not saying thank you. Don't try to back track.

ClarkL · 30/01/2017 21:57

Sunshine, elements are unskilled. 2 people work in the unskilled areas, an apprentice is working towards becoming an engineer.
For our health and safety there is minimum requirements by law, and then there is extra that you can provide. Not just buying a paper face mask, but a facemask with respiratory air lines attached, not just getting ladders but platforms to work from.
As for the macdonalds pay more than minimum wage. How is that even an argument?! We have a job, we pay just above minimum wage for an unskilled job you can do with zero qualifications. We don't force anyone to work with us, we offer a job and they can choose to accept or go elsewhere

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 21:59

Its an argument for your suggestion that paying above min wage is a big thing. Lots of companies - including those thought to pay min wage - actually pay above.

Since you won't say how much above I'm guess its 10p or something like which companies are known to do. Do you allow for raises to those unskilled workers if they work hard or they can only ever earn a baseline pay rate with a bonus if they say thanks?

Trollspoopglitter · 30/01/2017 21:59

Sorry Clark, but what rubbed me up the wrong way was what sunshine just highlighted. So essentially when you wrote
" If you turn up and do your job, you get your salary. If you go the extra mile you get a bonus. Simples."

I added

Unless you don't thank her. Then she fires you.

That's how I read it. Maybe you didn't mean it that way.

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 22:00

Trolls I don't think it can be read any other way!

ClarkL · 30/01/2017 22:01

Sunshine, saying I'd consider if someone fits in our culture is very different to saying I'd fire someone. We are legally obliged to do certain things as employers as we do those. But if a staff member didn't fit in the culture and wanted a job they turn up, get paid and go home then fine. But they wouldn't be offered overtime first, I'd be less reluctant to give them paid time off other than holidays, offer them training opportunities and all the other things we do for staff that do fit in the culture

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 22:03

So you would ostracise a staff member instead? Totally illegal. Plus, its not what you meant and you know it.

bibbitybobbityyhat · 30/01/2017 22:04

If you work in a tiny company and can't say thank you for a bonus (unless you are generally really badly treated, hate your job and want to leave) then you are pretty socially inadequate. imo.

ClarkL · 30/01/2017 22:09

Sunshine I know what I mean. A staff member who does only what is expected and no more with have a job but not a career. A staff member who says thank you and goes the extra mile will always be rewarded

7SunshineSeven7 · 30/01/2017 22:11

I'll leave this right here.