To ask you how I should spend my bonus?!

[Actuallyabitgreynow]

Not a bragging post, I promise. Single mum barely scraping by, although in a middle management job in the civil service (extortionate monthly outgoings due to high rent and lots of debts taken out when STBXH kept being unemployed).

I joined my team last year on promotion but very soon after, the posts at the two grades higher than me became vacant. Whilst I never formally stepped into the role, I took on a lot of additional responsibility and have really driven the work forward. The two vacant posts have now been filled and I've been told by my manager that he has authorised a bonus (or "in year reward") for my hard work. Except he has now buggered off on annual leave for the next 3 weeks having not told me how much it will be 🤣 what an arsehole (lighthearted, obviously, I am extremely grateful!).

As I'm new to the team I've no idea of precedents in what these awards might be. I know in my previous role (in a different team but same department) I'd be looking at between £300-500 but they are all moderated independently by the business unit so it doesn't really matter what happened there.

FWIW I'm on £40k, the vacancies above me were £55k and £70k, and I spent six months taking on the additional responsibilities.

In a ideal world I'd love a grand 🤣 but that's unrealistic and a couple of hundred is most likely.

What shall I spend it on?! I've literally just got back from a mini-break with my boyfriend and am taking my son away next week, so no urgent news for a staycation. Maybe a tattoo?? Piercings? New clothes or some decent boots? HELP!

IsAnybodyListening I had to laugh at your post! Some years ago won £100 on the lottery.Really pleased ,could buy X Y Z ,things for DC or an outing .Bloody Boiler blew up didnt it ,whole lot went towards a new one.Friend of DH got it right "Do a bit of overtime and the WM breaks down"!

My civil service performance bonus is £600 this year, I'm spending mine on some new summer clothes and saving the left overs

Save half to two thirds and have a really nice day out.

Oooh I just wrote a really thoughtful post and it’s just vanished. How annoying! Short version below…

Congrats on the award! Definitely don’t spend before seeing and bear in mind it’s taxable. But nice to know it’s coming!

Others have talked about promotion - I agree. If you’re already getting top performance/box markings, you’re at the top of your band and should be looking up in the next few years. It sounds like you’re a HEO? If you’re not ready for G7, definitely sounds like you’re ready for SEO - often there’s little difference between SEO and HEO bar the extra money! I’d recommend you also get a mentor at G7/G6/SCS1 level who can help you plan your steps to promotion including sense checking your plans and helping with applications. Maybe the guy who authorised your in year award?

Good luck and enjoy the money!

Oh - and I’ve tried to buy something memorable when I’ve had similar awards. So I have a designer coat bought after X project, a nice project after Y project…when I look at them I remember how proud I was of myself and how proud/thankful others were for my work. Just an idea :)

*a nice handbag, not a nice project!

If you've nothing pressing then why not save it?

Hmm if you are barely getting by on money I would put it to one side to help out at a later date

I spent my last performance bonus of £700ish on my wedding dress, lovely treat! Btw, you definitely don’t need to be waiting anything like five years to go for grade 7 if you’re getting informal TPs and performance bonuses.

Buying me an air conditioning unit...? 😁

I work in CS at the 2nd lowest grade and I just received a £600 bonus for doing work outwith my grade for the last few months.

@RandomCatGenerator thank-you! I'm an SEO; was a HEO for five years til end of 2020. Planning a jump to G7 in two years and then stick around there for a long while til G6.

I had an amazing SCS mentor lined up but she transferred over to Test & Trace and I've not spoken to her much since; I think I'll drop her a message and see if she's still keen :)

Most people in the UK are not sensible about putting away savings for a rainy day. Save it.

I’d hope your manager would nominate you for £1k max award for acting up into G6 from SEO, definitely above and beyond (and way more so than what I’ve seen people get awards for recently!)

You’ll lose a lot in tax/NI tho so it won’t be a massively life changing amount lol

As you’ve had the benefit of that experience over the last few months I’d immediately take steps to translate it into a permanent G7 post and a decent permanent pay rise!

@Xenia

Most people in the UK are not sensible about putting away savings for a rainy day. Save it.

A lot of people can’t afford to save for a rainy day. Some lives consist of nothing but rainy days.

Tattoo. Hair colour/cut, new clothes.

I've just bought a new hairdryer which was pricey but I'm sure will be worth it.

I tend to splurge on weird stuff though. 😂

So you're a newly promoted SIO thinking you've been taking on G7 and G6 responsibilities...whilst unusual, it suggests your SCS isn't doing their job properly. You'll get screwed over unless you're clear what your extra responsibilities are and getting properly recompensed.

Great to get a bonus, sounds like it will be 300-500.

I'd buy something you wouldn't normally buy, would you wear you new boots often ? (I like shoes !)

@Imapotato

I’ve been eyeing up a paddle board and weighing up if I can justify spend £250 on it. I’d probably buy that. 🤷‍♀️

As my name suggests, I approve! Buy the best you can stretch too, it will serve you well for years, I recommend irocker and fanaticsup x

I have no bonus advice but wanted to say you need to have more faith in yourself. If you've already done 5 years at HEO before becoming SEO then you don't need to wait any longer before applying to Grade 7 - if you're qualified enough you'll get it. If not, you won't, but there's nothing wrong with trying. Fast steamers skip SEO altogether. Don't hold yourself back by creating unnecessary barriers to your career. If you were a public school boy you wouldn't think twice about going for G7 jobs, so just fake the confidence and go for it.

And congrats on the bonus - I would suggest 50/50 save/splurge up to a max of £150 splurge.

@Unhomme oh there's no doubts that my outputs haven't been at a quality that would would expected at G6, there are definitely key pieces of work that I took on and kept them ticking over (and in some cases improved upon) that are now being handed back to the new G6.

To be fair to my SCS, who is fantastic, she moved our last G6 into another position in the wider team where he was needed more urgently, and he kept on my line management and still attended team meetings etc and I had a daily catch up with him for support whilst managing the rest of the function myself - but he was able to take take step back and leave 99% of it to me.

@Imapotato

I’ve been eyeing up a paddle board and weighing up if I can justify spend £250 on it. I’d probably buy that. 🤷‍♀️

@Imapotato - buy one, they're worth every penny!

Yes keep us updated when you get your payslip in 2 weeks

I do think the “barely scraping by” comment has coloured your responses. If you are struggling then it would be best to save it or pay off debt to get you out of financial hardship. But if not, I’d get the tattoo ASAP

Update - heard from my manager and its £1k (minus tax).

Decided to book a few days out during summer holidays (nothing expensive, just bowling, trampolining etc), save half, and invest the rest on a good therapist as I'm struggling a bit atm :)

That won’t leave much for a therapist OP
If you’re serious about it, little point on having 1 or 2 sessions and then not being able to afford anymore