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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

People moaning about lower bonuses this year

122 replies

airjordan · 19/11/2020 13:45

I think it makes them sound really spoiled. The couple of people moaning are already on huge salaries so I'm sure they'll cope with a less than great year!

OP posts:
mbosnz · 19/11/2020 13:49

We're not getting one at all this year. And I haven't heard one person bitch about it. We count ourselves lucky we have retained our jobs, on full pay.

airjordan · 19/11/2020 13:53

Indeed! Perfect attitude I think

OP posts:
FatBottomedGurl · 19/11/2020 14:03

I get your point however if I were playing Devils Advocate, I would highlight that people tend to live within their means. If they are used to receiving a set amount each year from salary and bonuses, they may find themselves in a shaky position when the additional funds they had been banking on haven't appeared.

Not everyone has been badly hit by CoVid. Some people have done very well out of the pandemic. Some companies have never been busier. Some staff have been stretched so thin its been unbearable, only to find that their company is still cutting bonuses and salaries "because of Co-Vid19" aka just using it as an excuse to swindle hard working people from money they deserve. In those situations, I would certainly be complaining and I wouldn't be spoiled to do so.

You have painted a very basic, generalised picture when in reality, peoples' lives and finances are rarely that way.

KrakowDawn · 19/11/2020 14:06

Aw, boohoo- they can dry their tears with their paycheck.

movingonup20 · 19/11/2020 14:10

Depends on their industry to be honest. DP gave all his staff bonuses because they are busier than ever but he knows of companies that have also had a bumper year using covid to slash salaries and not pay earned bonuses. (Being in ppe really was fortuitous!)

MummmyDayCareNameChangeAGAIN · 19/11/2020 14:13

If people don't expect a bonus then they can't get upset when they don't one! My husband still got his 15k which he was appreciative about but he never factors them in every year. Its a nice added extra.

UpperLowercaseSymbolNumber · 19/11/2020 14:14

It rather depends. I know various businesses who have used COVID as an excuse to cut or remove bonuses, furlough staff, cut benefits etc in order to up profits even when their business hasn’t been significantly affected. And short term they will get away with it if the job market is slow. But it must be galling to have your bonus substantially cut when the business remains doing well and you’ve worked harder than ever this year to make that happen.

MsHedgehog · 19/11/2020 14:30

What's annoyed me more is no pay rise rather than no bonuses. My team has been swamped since lockdown began, and we're all regularly working crazy hours and utilisation is over 120% for each person every month. We've smashed our targets, but because other teams are quieter, we don't get a pay rise at all this year. This was after we had a 10% cut for several months.

On top of that, they've made 20 admin staff redundant, and as soon as the redundancies were complete, we were all told the remaining PAs will now be really busy with fewer PAs. I'm so glad my PA wasn't made redundant but why make so many admin staff redundant when there is clearly a need for them!

Rant over...

NotMeekNotObedient · 19/11/2020 14:41

Maybe people rely on their bonus to pay bills?

MsHedgehog · 19/11/2020 14:49

P.s. I know I sound spoiled there, but when we have worked really had and we need our admin staff even though everyone is at home, it sucks that our company is using Covid as an excuse to save money!

airjordan · 19/11/2020 14:50

@NotMeekNotObedient

Maybe people rely on their bonus to pay bills?
That's not what bonuses are for
OP posts:
mbosnz · 19/11/2020 15:17

It's a mistake to rely on discretionary income like bonuses, for this very reason. They are never, by any means, certain. Just because you've got it every other year, doesn't mean that it's set in stone that you'll get it this year. . .

A la, The National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. . ,

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 19/11/2020 15:20

Some poor people haven't even got a fuckin wage let alone a bonus.

Spoilt entitled pampered tw*ts. I despise ungratefulness.

SpamIAm · 19/11/2020 15:26

I can obviously see your point and how it would be upsetting to people who are financially worse off because of covid, but I don't think it's entirely fair.

DH's company have had their most successful year to date. He's worked pretty much every evening and weekend since March, was being worked extra hard to keep up with demand when some staff were furloughed, and also took over running his department when his boss volunteered to be furloughed. So yeah, he'll undoubtedly be pretty pissed off if he doesn't get a bonus this year.

1FootInTheRave · 19/11/2020 15:26

I'd be pissed off if a promised bonus didn't come to fruition tbh. Presumably you don't know their overall financial situation so a bit unkind to judge them as spoilt.

I'm nhs though so it's a bonus if I get my unpaid lunch break 😆

SpaceOp · 19/11/2020 15:27

Who is complaining? I think that the answer to this depends on a million other things that you haven't referenced. Many of my clients have actually been just fine during COVID in terms of their financials but their staff have often had to work even harder etc, so I wouldn't blame any of them for being upset if bonuses didn't happen. Especially if, for example, shareholders are still being paid out etc.

If, on the other hand, you work for a business that furloughed loads of people, suffered a lot and has been doing everything it can just to survive, then even though some people have worked extremely hard to cover for all those people on furlough, I can totally understand why bonuses might be limited and that as a result their bonuses will be down.

The point is that bonuses are not just about individual performance but also corporate performance so that does need to be taken into account. But if both individual and corporate performance have been good, then bonus expectations will be as normal.

Crumbleandcake · 19/11/2020 15:29

I really hate the attitude that if you have money or get a bonus that you then can't be disappointed.

I am grateful we both still have jobs but honestly, I'm also disappointed that we won't be getting bonuses this year as we had plans for new windows on our (18th century( house as it's very cold in winter because the wooden frames have seen better days.

Yes house jobs are a luxury but I don't think I'm spoilt to be disappointed that we will be £15k worse off this year.

79andnotout · 19/11/2020 15:31

Some jobs (like mine) are commission orientated so more than 2/3rds of my salary comes from bonuses. It's the same for all my team. Our board of directors proposed that there were no bonuses this year, which effectively cuts our salary to less than a third, for working even harder than usual to keep the business afloat. Thankfully they saw reason in the end, that was a very short sighted proposition.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 19/11/2020 15:33

Some people have jobs that never attract a bonus.

MatildaonaWaltzer · 19/11/2020 15:34

and some people have worked astonishingly hard this year for organisations which have profited from their hard work. TO use covid as an excuse not to reward them is appalling.

You do realise that the bonus pool isn't magically going to be paid to nurses / the furlough fund / children's charities if it doesn't go to the people who've worked for them?

SpaceOp · 19/11/2020 15:38

@MatildaonaWaltzer

and some people have worked astonishingly hard this year for organisations which have profited from their hard work. TO use covid as an excuse not to reward them is appalling.

You do realise that the bonus pool isn't magically going to be paid to nurses / the furlough fund / children's charities if it doesn't go to the people who've worked for them?

Love this.
MatildaonaWaltzer · 19/11/2020 15:40

off the top of my head, I can think of Aldi as one employer who recognises their additional profit from appalling working conditions during initial lockdown and made non contractual additional bonus payments.

Are the Aldi staff who worked 18 hour shifts to restock shelves "spoilt entitled twats" who "can wipe their tears on their paychecks"? just checking where this bonus issue is calibrated.

sapnupuas · 19/11/2020 15:42

My company paid everyone 100% throughout furlough. They also gave everyone an extra days leave for every week they worked through the furlough period, which could then be sold.

People still complained about not getting their bonus (but we are due two next year instead!).

People are arseholes.

RelaisBlu · 19/11/2020 15:44

Bonus is part of overall remuneration so people are bound to be disappointed if they/their company have had a successful year but the bonus is not forthcoming

MatildaonaWaltzer · 19/11/2020 15:45

@sapnupuas has the company hit its profit target regardless? Some have, precisely because they closed operations. If the relevant targets are met, the bonuses should be paid whether or not people have been furloughed. (Clearly if the company is on its knees then there’s no bonus pot to pay)

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