People complaining about their 'bonus'

[extramoney]

Reading a thread about the NHS bonus and everyone unhappy that it's not as much as they expected because of deductions

Made me think that actually people are a bit entitled. we all get taxed on bonus, we should just be grateful we've had some extra.

I work for the nhs, and we didnt have a bonus, it was back pay from our pay raise. The government gives it to us in 1 hand hand, then takes half of it back in the other. I didnt expect any different to be honest, and I am surprised other people didnt realise this wasnt going to the case.

My old Trust, and the Trust my husband works for didn't offer that option.

@justteanbiscuits - apologies. All trusts were given that flexibility- clearly not all exercised it. Poor show.

www.nhsemployers.org/articles/202223-additional-payments-guidance

From my viewpoint, there's no comparison between what a secondary school English teacher is having to do and what many band 7s in the NHS are having to do. Same goes for social care, equivalent level of responsibility commands about a third less money. Many NHS at band 7 and above are doing rather well comparatively. Agree it's not about pitching against, but the separate unions mean that I don't see a way for coalition. (Full disclosure, when I say NHS I know nothing about nurse pay but a lot about medical and allied health and corporate pay. Maybe nurses are especially hard done by, I wouldn't know. )

I’ve seen some of the complaints you are referring to on various healthcare worker support groups etc.

They’re being a bit naive not expecting to be taxed on a larger sun than usual paid all at once.

However overall YABU.

• The pay rise is still below inflation.
• The covid bonus was to bambooxle people into taking the offer from the government which overall was rubbish. More of a trick than just be grateful for what we got - it’s not a race to the bottom.
• Wages for a band 5 are much closer to minimum wage percentage wise than they were 10 years ago. (I did the maths when I was thinking about it)
• Actually I’d like / it would be fair to be paid for the level of responsibility I have. Especially as this week we’ve had sewage pouring down the walls of the ward.

I’m gutted today that the RCN didn’t have the turn out to vote for better.

It’s only by being united like the junior docs are that we will get what we deserve!

They’re lucky they got one! I’m bank staff so still waiting on a decision as to whether we get one, despite the fact I worked through covid and did the same job if not more shifts than my colleagues.

Is it a bonus for covid?

Only @whatkatydid2013 seems to have understood that if this "bonus/back pay" takes your June earnings over £4189 for the month (when it is normally nowhere near this amount) you will end up paying less NI than you would if the payment was not paid in a single lump sum. NI is charged at 12% from £1048 to £4189 per month and then at 2% on any amount over £4189. If the "bonus" takes June's earnings to £5189 you will pay £100 less NI than you might expect, and this saving is permanent as NI is not calculated on a year-to-date (YTD) basis.

Tax is calculated on a YTD basis, and as June is the 3rd month of the tax year, you would need to have taxable earnings over £12567 so far this year to start paying tax at 40% (assuming normal tax codes), and even if the "bonus" takes you just over this amount, you will get it back over the next couple of months.

No, not a bonus for covid but I’ve worked just as hard as my colleagues but being temp or bank staff means I’m not entitled to the bonus or pay rise (they’re still in talks about this).
tbh I’m just resentful about that more than anything else. It’s always the case that the “temp” staff in any organisation get the short straw. So now I’m applying for perm posts.

I see. Yes that seems un fair.

Bank staff isn't temp as such though is it ie x hours for y months, you choose wish shifts you want to work. This isn't a bonus it's back pay, I hope you do all get something but its not a thanks for working hard payment.

It’s rubbish, just the Tories saying stuff that looks good in headlines or sound bites but doesn’t help the staff in reality.

I’m Civil Service and we are getting a £1500 payment “to assist with the cost of living”. Except obviously it’s subject to tax, so it’s not £1500 to help with the cost of living, and for any part time colleagues it is being pro-rata’d, so if you work less hours, already earning less than full time colleagues, you see even less of this supposed £1500 payment. It also affects things like Universal Credit, so it won’t realistically help those who need it most of all.

I’m not complaining, we are lucky to be ok at the minute and I can use whatever extra I come out with to pay some bills, but it’s just the Tories trying to look decent to the electorate while refusing to pay people a fair wage.

Made me think that actually people are a bit entitled. we all get taxed on bonus, we should just be grateful we've had some extra.

No, you are not reasonable at all. The bonus was deliberately sold as being more than it ended up being. Last time I got a pay rise my pension contribution was put up and I ended up with less take home pay. So it is not entitled at all to be reflecting on how shit it is.

Yeah I know it’s not a bonus, that it is back pay but that’s what’s galling to me. I have worked those hours so should be as entitled as everyone else. A bonus I could understand not getting but back pay I believe I’m entitled to.

I’m aware I’ve just been bandying the word bonus about when it is in fact not one.

I wonder how the public sector workers (including NHS) complaining on here about losing a few hundred pounds of their £1.5-2K bonus in tax would feel about taking home only about half of their £34.5K bonus because the remainder is taken off them to fund the public sector workers payrolls grossly over staffed and entitled cotton wool and marshmallows social club ?

Given that £34.5k is more than most of them earn in a year, I expect they’d be delighted to find themselves with an extra £17.25k in their back accounts. You do know the NHS is carrying 44,000 vacancies at the moment? It’s very far from over staffed.

If the number of vacancies increased to around half a million, I'd be satisfied that at least they'd be heading in the right direction to establishing some kind of efficiency in terms of Human Resources.

Do you really expect that they'd be delighted to lose a five figure sum from what they'd naively consider to be their money to spend freely, if they're so quick to complain about paying a few hundred quid in tax which contributes to their own self-loathing ?

Since when has £17.25k been a five figure sum? And, yes I do expect that they’d be delighted to find more than six months’ gross salary land in their bank accounts. The NHS employs 1.26 million people, losing 40% of its workforce would mean the end of healthcare in the UK.

£17.25K = £17,250. That's five figures.

Given that their level of dissatisfaction appears to be based on the amount they lose in tax, rather than the additional amount they receive in their bank accounts, I'd have to disagree that they'd be delighted.

Some are even so disappointed and shocked to learn that their net bonus is less than their gross, the've taken to putting forward a fantastic suggestion that bonuses shouldn't be taxed, when tax on private sector workers bonuses is what is paying their salary, bonus and pension !!!

The tax we all pay is what pays public sector salaries.

You're absolutely right, yet here we have public sector employees suggesting that their bonus shouldn't be taxed so that they can take home even more of other peoples money !

It’s not other people’s money. It a damned sight harder earned that the salary paid to some service industry wonk playing games with fantasy money in the City.

Thought it was back dated pay and the "backlog bonus"?

In addition, they will receive a one-off ‘NHS backlog bonus’ which recognises the sustained pressure facing the NHS following the pandemic and the extraordinary effort staff have been making to meet the Prime Minister’s promise to cut waiting lists.

Try working inside IR35 without final salary pension cos my take home varies from 47% to 38%. It's criminal. And my pay has been flatlined for the last 4 years. I'm not moaning, I just can't see why normal people pay a greater % tax than our own PM!!!

I'm not eroding what has happened with nhs pay rise, cos I think it's pants.