to ask how you’d feel about these scenarios at work?

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m lucky. My job has largely been unaffected by Covid in a material way and this is the same for our entire workforce. No redundancies, no pay cuts or unmanageable workloads etc.

Our board want to give some bonuses in recognition of the extra work people have done plus a 1% bonus to everyone.

I think this is nice, will be well received and will give people a boost

They’re arguing about how it will be viewed if someone who was on furlough gets the same as someone who worked throughout.

I say I don’t think it matters - it’s a nice gesture, a small amount and everyone is getting something but am I being naive?

Obviously money matters but I’m frankly just glad I’ve got a safe job, decent salary and flexible employers.

How would you receive this news if your employer did this?

I was in a situation like this a few years ago at work, big extra piece of work, not everyone was directly involved in it, but everyone was affected and got the same reward. Nobody minded this at all. It's a team thing. I'm sure the furloughed people didn't choose to be furloughed.

That’s my point of view too. I think they’re massively overthinking it. They’re just desperate not to puss people off but I don’t think they will.

Id be really pissed off if I’d been working hard and someone on furlough got the same bonus. I think it depends though what is standard for your company re bonuses and how they are used/expectations.

Bonuses are generally very small - almost a token really - £100 to £500 per person depending on what for for around 10-15 people out of 100.

We do not have a big bonus culture.

People who have worked over and above will get an extra bonus.

Honestly, I would feel put out that I had covered for other people (even though those people had no choice to be put on furlough) for months, and they got the same 'thank you' as me. I don't feel any resentment at all to my furloughed colleagues at the moment but I really think I would if they got a bonus at this time.

I can also see it from the other side. Furloughed people lost 20% of their pay and fretted about redunancy for months and now their colleagues get a bonus and they don't?

In the employer's shoes I would give the non-furloughed people the bonus and ask them to keep it confidential.

I wouldn't have a problem with it. Most people on furlough haven't chosen to be, and they've had to take a pay cut and have their pay capped (if they earned over £2.5K), so they've had their own struggles to deal with.

I’d be pissed off if the furloughed got the same bonus, if I’d been going into work and dealing with the extra pressure of keeping the business afloat.

If the bonus is for working due this period then furloughed people shouldn't get a bonus. However, if the company can afford to give bonuses, they shouldn’t have bloody furloughed staff.

It would urk me a little, maybe give the furloughed 80% of what the unfurloughed are getting?

I would be pleased that furloughed colleagues were still being treated as part of the team. I would see it as a sign of a good employee.

Why would everyone know what anyone else is getting?

*Employer

I'd be pissed too

@OlaEliza

A) people talk and B) the letter would say all staff getting x percent

If I'd worked full time throughout, for only 20% more than someone who hasn't workee (or if the employer boosted pay to 100%, for the same amount), and then found out I was getting the same small bonus as them, despite them doing nothing, I'd be livid.

All depends if they chose to be furloughed. If not, a further kick in the teeth of no bonus would be bad

Can't believe how mean spirited people are. The furloughed staff didn't ask for a global pandemic to impact their jobs!

My company is splitting a bonus amongst our team made up of 30+ people as we met targets at a team level. Many of those receiving the bonus didn't contribute to the success but I'm happy we are sharing it equally. For the record I hit my target and if those who didn't were excluded I'd receive slightly more money but I really can't get worked up about this at all

@AlwaysCheddar

I can’t go into too much detail but we only furloughed a small percentage of the workforce before possible savings were clear.

Once we had a clearer picture we ended it.

All furloughed staff were topped up to fill salary.

They were furloughed owing to there being no work. No one except for fairly senior staff (myself included) had to cover much of other people’s work.

Thank you for all of your replies. It shows that it’s more nuanced than I thought.

We are also clearly not going to be able to please everyone.

Who decided who was furloughed?

If it was the company who decided then the furloughed employees will be pissed off about being denied the opportunity to earn the bonus.

I would be absolutely chuffed to bits to get a bonus.
I wouldn’t give a fiddlers fart if others got one too.

BUT as I work for the NHS, there’s not a chance in hell that a single one of us will get anything extra!

Lucky you, enjoy it and get yourself something nice, I think it’s a lovely gesture.

If it is specifically in recognition of the extra work people have done, it seems illogical to give it to people who haven't done any extra work.

That said, I am not a dog in the manger type - if they did this where I worked (I have continued working throughout) I wouldn't grudge it to furloughed people - my overriding feeling is to be grateful I still have a job - I would just feel that made the gesture rather meaningless.

I wouldn't mind. Furloughed people had no choice in the matter and got a drop of income - a pretty hefty one in some cases because of the capping. Why begrudge them a tiny handout? I'd prefer to have been working.

Company.

They committed prior to the furlough scheme being announced that all staff would be paid full salary throughout the pandemic regardless of whether they could do all of their job etc.

We have been treated very well in my opinion.

Home working, flexibility for childcare, able to take leave etc.

I would feel that if it's about general company success then it should go to everyone. I think it's about morale and teambuilding. It's likely there's already a division between furloughed workers and not, and only giving some people the bonus won't help. But maybe it would be better to wait until, say, Christmas when everyone will have been back at work, everyone will realise that it's been hard times on both sides, and everyone will have contributed to the company's ongoing success.

I would be absolutely chuffed to bits to get a bonus. I wouldn’t give a fiddlers fart if others got one too.

This is how I feel too.

If it is specifically in recognition of the extra work people have done, it seems illogical to give it to people who haven't done any extra work.

It’s more ‘it’s been a shitty time - we’d like to give you a little extra’. Some people have done exceptional work and will get an extra specific bonus.