# So who else doesn't get Christmas bonuses from their employer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208 "2013-12-26T14:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/1 "2013-12-26T14:16:08Z")
My hospital doesn’t, and hasn’t as long as I’ve been here (5 years). But hey, we’re told we should be happy because we just opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art PICU! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/2 "2013-12-26T14:20:28Z")
I never got one, when I worked. No raises or 401K matching either. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/3 "2013-12-26T14:22:43Z")
I’ve never given out Christmas bonuses, however I’ve always distributed end of year bonuses a week prior to the end of the year. Because I have to take taxes out, I figure out the bonus amount that gives the desired amount on the check face. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/4 "2013-12-26T14:22:49Z")
I don’t get jack shit extra from my employer. They wouldn’t even pay me my salary if they could get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/5 "2013-12-26T14:23:36Z")
I’m a teacher. This year my Christmas “bonus” was a backpack with the name and coat-of-arms of our county embroidered onto it. Woohoo! 😃 (All the teachers got the same thing, which means, of course, that no one will use it, for fear of confusing it with everybody else’s.) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/6 "2013-12-26T14:32:00Z")
Last year when I was temping at a different company, I got a Honey-baked ham just like everyone else, which was nice. But all the years I was a Federal employee, I got nothing. I think before that, when I was a teen working at my dad’s office, they gave me a $25 bonus, which was a lot of money in 1971 considering my pay was $2/hr. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/7 "2013-12-26T14:38:24Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > But all the years I was a Federal employee, I got nothing. Yes, the federal government does not give Christmas bonuses. ---
**Author:** ![highrollinwooded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@highrollinwooded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highrollinwooded)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/8 "2013-12-26T14:40:03Z")
Guess I should be appreciative…me and my husband both work for the same company, and receive $230.00 in gift cards (to be used at the store). ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/9 "2013-12-26T14:42:46Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I never got one, when I worked. No raises or 401K matching either. Ouch, do you work for a “if you don’t like it, we can fill your position in 5 minutes” company? ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/10 "2013-12-26T14:46:18Z")
For years we never received a Christmas bonus, but we would always get something from the VP…a bottle of wine or a gift certificate or even an ice scraper (hey, it was SOMETHING). This year we have a new VP and he gave us nothing. Just absolutely nothing. Didn’t throw a Christmas party like our last VP, not even a “Merry Christmas” email. He just skulked out of the office on the last day before break and avoided everyone. Now that’s the way to keep our office morale high! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/11 "2013-12-26T14:51:28Z")
I’ve always gotten something when I worked in the private sector, but nothing in the public or nonprofit sectors. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/12 "2013-12-26T14:55:44Z")
I worked for a public school and my husband at a public university. No bonuses, which is how it should be. We did give a very small token to the ten people he managed, but that was our own money. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/13 "2013-12-26T15:04:00Z")
Never got a Christmas bonus at any job I worked. The only bonus I got (paid out in April) was when working on a maintenance contract for the Air Force. Bonuses were given to management depending on the rating score given to the contract performance. The last year I was there, the bonus was $12,000 (gross). ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/14 "2013-12-26T15:10:06Z")
I just found out about 20 minutes ago that I got a bonus. Not sure if it’s a Christmas bonus or a Holiday bonus or bonus tied to a recent project completion, boss just messaged me and said “you have a bonus on your next check!” It was in addition to a $100 “Holiday bonus” that was given to every employee. I was pretty surprised. I’ve never gotten bonuses except when I’ve worked at very small (\< 10 people) companies. This place just went over the 800 employee mark, so definitely a lot bigger. Kinda nice, especially seeing as it was totally unexpected! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/15 "2013-12-26T15:12:03Z")
No bonus, no Christmas card-just a curt email telling us that nobody is allowed to take vacation time during the holiday season. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/16 "2013-12-26T15:17:24Z")
I didn’t get anything but my wife’s boss usually gives her around $3k (before taxes) as a holiday bonus. Probably based on a percentage of her salary or something. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/17 "2013-12-26T15:27:31Z")
I work for the public sector as a government employee, no bonuses here. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/18 "2013-12-26T15:32:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve never given out Christmas bonuses, however I’ve always distributed end of year bonuses a week prior to the end of the year. Because I have to take taxes out, I figure out the bonus amount that gives the desired amount on the check face. :dubious: “I don’t give out Christmas bonuses, but I do give out a bonus around Christmas!” ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/19 "2013-12-26T15:37:21Z")
When I worked blue-collar jobs, I got a ham or a turkey or a modest check. When I worked for Wall Street firms, I got a year-end bonus that was as much as 20% of my salary. Since I left Wall Street thirteen years ago to work for a Fortune 500 technology company, no year-end bonuses. I occasionally qualify for a quarterly bonus tied to quality targets. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208/20 "2013-12-26T15:46:41Z")
My employer does not give Christmas bonuses, but if you meet certain criteria, you receive longevity pay, which is essentially a bonus and which coincidentally comes in your last November paycheck. As someone who meets the criteria, I have to say, it’s quite handy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-else-doesnt-get-christmas-bonuses-from-their-employer/677208.md?page=2)