Is our boss allowed to do this?

[Jones9876]

We have recently found out that our boss who has recently come into money has given a significant amout of money to a few other employees as a 'gift'. We are naturally pissed off! The money was paid straight into their bank accounts. He has denied giving any money at all.

Are we BU to feel so annoyed about it (particularly as those who didn't get it work a hell of a lot harder than some of those who got the money?) 😩

Is it a bonus or a gift ?

Your boss has personally come into money?

In that case he can give it to whoever he wants - are these employees friends too?

Is it from the company or from your boss personally?

If it is to do with their work then yes, I would feel aggrieved. If it’s personal then it isn’t your business and it’s a shame someone opened their big mouth.

If it’s his money he can give it to who he wants, same as bonuses and wage rises. It maybe that he has known these people longer personally as friends more than employees.

It sounds like you're saying your boss has given some of his personal money to colleagues who he considers to be friends. Why would you think that gifts between friends are any of your business?

If that isn't the case, then perhaps you should start again on the explanation.

Why would your boss give colleagues his personal money.

It's a bit strange.

Did he transfer the money through the company bank account?

How did you discover this?

So he has gifted some personal money, outside the business to people. Some of those people happen to work for him.

I think this is fine. He can do what he wants with his own money.

It’s more complicated if it’s gone through payroll or used to pay a bonus on behalf of the company as mixing personal money and company payments is complex. I would imagine he has some sort of accountant that advises on this.

Some employees at my work have shares in the company. Some do not. That’s not an issue and legal.

Personal money? Or from the company?

Do you think it might be some sort of bribe?

It's a bit strange and it might raise a few eyebrows if it was highlighted to HR but I'd only ever even consider that if he's given it to people who are more vulnerable and therefore easily manipulated.

If it's just a case of jealousy you need to let it go.

As you say it’s a gift. It sounds like man has come into some money and shared with friends. Some of whom happen to work with him.

Everyone else thinks they are entitled to it too, not understanding that personal money and company money are 2 different things.

and he is allowed to deny it, if it’s his own personal money. You have no right to know what he does with his own money.

He can do it if he wants to. However, depending on the circumstances there may be tax to pay on the cash. HMRC is unlikely to believe a boss gave money to employees out of the goodness of his heart.

He can do what he wants with his own money outside of work.

Well he's unlikely to give people HIS money for no good reason. Maybe they're friends or have been good to him in some way. Nonetheless it's his money and he can do what the hell he wants with it. Them being your colleagues has nothing to do with it. This is not company money, it's personal money.

Ok fair enough sounds like we are BU. Thanks for all the replies!

It's his personal money that he's given as gifts, some to whom he works with. Of course he's allowed.

My relatives left money to people who had worked for them in their will. Their company was their life and their coworkers were friends who visited them when they were ill. I think friends is stretching it but it was made clear there was money for them. So its not unheard of.

BU and grabby.

If it's his personal money, YABU massively. I'd be careful about complaining as you'd look very grabby. I wouldn't want to employ a grabby employee.

Yes it may seem that way but the money came from her actually selling the business although she still runs it. Given how hard we work it seems rubbish not to be given a slice of the pie!

Nased on your last update OP, it may be that those employees are key to the success of the business after the sale, which may affect what your boss gets, or have made a major contribution to achieving the sale, hence the gift.

i can appreciate it feels a bit shit, and you should never really have know, but it’s fairly normal. If it makes you feel any better it would have been out of taxed income, so would have Costner quite a bit more than the payments themselves.

It's not your money. Presumably you get paid for the work you do?

You are mixing issues.

That money is now her personal money. She has given it to people she has chose to.

Its not a work perk. It’s a private matter.

There is no communal pie. You didn’t have shares.

Do you really believe that because you work for someone it entitles you to their money?

Is he the owner of the company? Is this a bonus?

if not, this seems very odd indeed. Could it be payments as some type of bribe?