No even a token bonus

[Christmasishere2025]

I started a new job a month ago. Everyone got a bonus, even people who have been there 3 months got 5%, others more. Am I unreasonable to think I should have got something ? Perhaps just a token 1%of my salary. I am also one the lowest person paid in the company despite my experience.

I am really trying to focus on the positives but this is really getting me down.

You've posted about this before? I remember a very similar post last week.

“A few hundreds”.

i used to work in a job where the highest paid partner took home north of half a million a year. My Christmas bonus was £50. After tax etc it worked out to be about £15!

Oh give over, there is zero identitying info in the post

Also in your role you will have access to all sorts of information about what other people are paid and other things they get. You need to be able to compartmentalise much better as it will never make you happy.

In a new job I did get a bonus in my March pay for what I worked from starting on 13/11 to 31/12 the year I joined. After tax it amounted to just over £200 but I thought what a nice touch from a new employer to include me even though I’d only worked about 6 weeks in that bonus year.

Yabu. A month. Come on. NHS worker here we get nothing and don't expect anything

It might be something like you have to start before 1st October to be eligible. I expect those that did get one that have been around for a short time it would have been pro rata. See if you can find the scheme rules.

I think my employer has a cut off of 30 Oct to get any bonus. And that broadly feels fair.

I had a new joiner yesterday who will actually work 6 days of this calendar year - should they get one? They won’t have much an opportunity to add any notable value before year end.

Anyway, a fair question to ask would be “for planning for next year, what is the cut off for bonus eligibility for new joiners?” If they say earlier than you started you know you’re being treated in accordance with policy. If they say later then you can say “oh but I started on 17 nov and didn’t get one, was that an error?”

What about employees who are 2 or 3 weeks in? Should they feel left out too?

Next year you will get your lovely bonus!

In industries where there are substantial bonuses everyone moves job in January or February or negotiates bonus protection as part of their move.

in at least one of these industries the base salary is fairly low for the work done and the expectations are that performance is rewarded by bonus.

I can't stop laughing (somewhat hysterically) at the sheer entitlement of this.

Life is going to throw things at you which are much, MUCH harder than this (non-existent) problem.

Glad I made you laugh; we all need a laugh 🤭

This! There is no way someone who works in HR and Finance can be this naive. Unless she's some kind of school leaver/intern/first job person.

exactly, a nice touch was all I needed. No feel completely left out/ignored

A few hundred quid bonus? For 4 weeks work?!?!

But you get that you work for them, and you’re still in your probationary period, right? That they’re still essentially auditioning you, rather than trying to entice you with ‘nice touches’?

I think bonus payments tend to be agreed a few weeklong a month before actually being paid so you probably were too new for them to appraise any work. Keep it up and you should see a reward next year.

And my bonus scheme rules said you had to be in post for the full year to qualify for a bonus. So yes nice touch

I agree. A few hundreds? Really?

Do you think you’ve added enough in your one month to get hundreds of pounds as a bonus, to stop you feeling left out?

No wonder companies get in a mess when this is the mental state of the HR person

No.

You would surprised just how much identifying information people give out. They use the same profile names on different boards and forums. They respond to fishing posts asking people about what they do and earn. Whilst a huge amount of social media is just made up nonsense, some people are that stupid. People can be identified on less than what the poster has said in here.

Generally speaking good professionals don’t discuss their work online. If they are really good they won’t even go near the topic of their field. Where conversations are usually bollocks anyway.

If not in your contract, do you have a staff handbook that outlines the bonus process? Some companies have given a Christmas cash bonus or a gift to all staff but discretionary bonuses are just that - discretionary. If there isn’t a handbook outlining the process perhaps in your new role in HR you could help create one? Would help other new joiners.

Totally disagree. People should make it their mission to find out what other people are being compensated. Creating a cloak of secrecy around compensation is how companies prevent equal pay being addressed.