I work for a public university. Our department is having a catered holiday lunch on Monday. We have the 24th through the 26th off with pay. There’s no gifts or bonuses from the school; it’s a “gift of public funds” problem. Even the lunch is a little iffy in that regard, but no one looks too closely.
We get a bonus check – I don’t know what the rhyme or reason to it is, so I will just say it is very nice. We also get several days off around Christmas with pay. We will get out at noon on the 21st and do not come back until the 27th. When we clock out on Friday, we will all go to the warehouse for BBQ dinner, plenty of talking and live entertainment (a couple of the guys from the warehouse are in a gospel band that is actually amazing). We can leave after the luncheon. Meh. Not bad at all, actually.
The worst I ever tolerated was with my last company. It was a small (owner, his wife and me in the office, 4 truck drivers) trucking company that did over $M per year. The wife asked if I thought $1K was a nice bonus. Of course I did. She had me write the checks out for the truck drivers. She then had me order myself a ham from Cracker Barrel. I did not get any cash. Wow. Gee. Thanks. Suffice it to say I quit shortly thereafter.
The best was another small company I’d worked for where the bonus was determined by the owner based pretty much on how much he liked you. My bonus was well over $5K that year. He really liked me as an employee – I helped his company grow by 30% in the time I was there. I have thought about asking him if he needs another employee, but he’s one of those nut-job guys. I think I’ve mentioned him before – he used to throw phones across the room during temper tantrums.
Nothing, apart from the two weeks of the school holiday 
Some of the older kids in our orchestra organise a collection, and hand it over to their parents to buy us something alcoholic. And then there’s gifts from various grateful parents, which has included a couple of rather fine reds this time around, as well as the usual mass of chocolates.
Last year one very pleasant surprise was a DVD they’d specially bought from overseas, of a documentary which had briefly cropped up in conversation some six months before and which I had taken an interest in, but had since forgotten about. That really took me aback, it was far beyond the usual gesture of thanks.
From what I hear, it varies from year to year with my company depending on how things are going, but that they always try to do something nice for their employees. I’ve only been here a bit over a year, so my experience is limited, but last year I received a substantial (about two weeks pay) bonus and an iPod. We also got a logo shirt and quite a nice party at an expensive restaurant with an open bar. We’re doing the latter two again this year, and I would be surprised if we didn’t receive a bonus as well. This is a small, privately owned company.
My previous company did next to nothing. Typically, low level employees received nothing except maybe a cookie on Christmas Eve. Management received a really crappy, during-work-hours party that consisted of casseroles that a head manager’s wife made and cheap soda, and maaaybe a $5 gift card to Target. This was for a Fortune 500 company.
I’m self-employed. I was going to do a Secret Santa, but I would have figured out it was me. I might take myself to a fancy dinner and decide spouses are welcome, though.
Yes, we’re always looking for technically competent people. If you have calibration or electronics repair experience, drop me an email. No sarcasm at all - we need good cal techs or electricians.
Well, after your antics at the last holiday party maybe you should just take it easy this year. You know how people talk.
Well, this year, they’re giving us the day off. Unless you work in one of the 24 hour stores… Oh, yeah, and we had THREE days this year when the employee discount was 30%(normally it’s 20%), instead of just ONE day, like before. :rolleyes:
2 weeks off with pay. The church that uses my classroom every Sunday will probably drop off a gift basket the day before we leave on break. That’s about it.
We have the day off but that’s built in to our set holidays. I got a bonus equal to maybe a day’s worth of pay, most of it in the form of a gift card to a nice department store. (There’s no connection with the store; I think it’s intended as an encouragement to spend it on something nice for yourself, rather than just giving cash.) We also have a holiday party at our location with door prizes, hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar.
I’ve mostly worked at large corporations where it’s been left to the immediate department heads. We’ve had big group lunches on the boss, potlucks, etc.
Our director took us out for lunch last week, and I think my immediate group will have a potluck and/or happy hour next week. It’s cheap, but cheerful. We’re a compatible group and have a lot of fun together.
DH’s old company used to throw a party at an expensive restaurant, but it generated more ill-will than it created. It was a family-owned company, and the family was notorious for paying for trips, putting down payments on new and bigger houses, etc., before paying the employees and suppliers, and then poor-mouthing when it came time for raises. So throwing an elaborate bash worked against them - people would have rather had the cash than the party, which was really little more than an excuse for the owners to pat themselves on the back and take credit for everyone else’s work. Neither cheap nor cheerful.
I’ve been with my company for two Christmases. Last year, I was the only employee and the two bosses gave me $50.
This year I’m one of the owners. Since one of the aforementioned bosses was stealing from the company, we don’t have enough money to do much for our employees (who now number three paid and ten unpaid).
However, they all understand the situation, and two of them got together to plan a cheery potluck-and-ugly-holiday-sweater party. I wish we had the money to give all of them big cash bonuses, because they richly deserve it.
Someday…
We used to have a nice holiday dinner at a trendy restaurant with guest, cash bar, but this year they cheaped out with a lunch today catered by Olive Garden- wasn’t that good but it was free food, at least. We also get $10 for every month of the year we’re there after being temps, so $120 minus taxes. We’re also having an employee-driven Secret Santa/potluck on Wednesday. I’ll be at the satellite office, so no lunch for me unless someone saves me a plate, but I will have my present there to open. I work for a small company.
I used to work for a huge, multi-office corporation, and they didn’t pay for shit but they had a very nice year-end bonus program. My first December, I’d been there since August and my bonus was $450 and it went up dramatically every year. I miss them around this time of year.
We get a fairly nice free lunch in the cafeteria (I believe the cafeteria staff cooks it, but it’s nicer food than the normal everyday lunch offerings) and a $20 Target gift card.
My company is the best! (Architectural firm - 1300 total employees and about 60 in my office)
We all were flown from Atlanta to our headquarters in Dallas last Thursday and we stayed at a very nice hotel downtown. (employees from all over the country, as well as Mexico attend) The company arranged drivers to pick up each employee at the airport, so we didn’t have to pay cab fare to the hotel. Spouses and s/others are welcome, but they have to pay their own airfare. We’re able to “expense” our transportation to the airport from our home offices as well as a percentage of any meals not provided by the company.
I’m a receptionist and I attend the “admin. luncheon” where we’re given nice gifts and gift cards. The total must be about $100 per person in gifts, plus whatever the cost of lunch might be.
On Friday afternoon we have a full company meeting - our chairman addresses us and then the games begin. There are drawings for prizes ranging from IPods to plane tickets and flat screen TVs and cash. About 20 people win prizes. (One guy from our office won a $250 gas card)
We had a casual holiday party on Friday night for all of the out of towners and they served a variety of beers and wines as well as burgers and hot dogs.
Saturday night is the big bash in the hotel main ballroom wih a band, as well as a few other rooms for those who want a quiet meal. There are full open bar stations and a full meal is served. The final drawings are at the gala where about 10 more people win prizes. Santa walks through the crowd handing out gift cards for Starbuck and McDonalds. (another coworker won 2 airline tickets to anywhere in the contiguous 48)
We flew back to our home offices on Sunday.
Today was our local party which was a potluck with a “White Elephant” gift exchange. About 50 people participated.
The architects give me a special gift (the 2 other admins too) - a gift card for a day spa which includes the gratuity. I saved my card from last year so I’m going for the full works on Monday. We get bonuses based on company profit and we expect them sometime next week. (If I don’t get a bonus it won’t be a problem since I’ve been given so much)
I’m thrilled to work for my firm. I always let my bosses and coworkers know how much I appreciate working for/with them and I plan to retire from this company.
I know how lucky I am, since this is the first company I’ve worked for that does this much for employees - I’ve worked on Christmas Day many times and received no bonus so this is wonderful to me.
If it’s the Market Street Cafe, I recommend the open-faced turkey sandwich 
My company had a big lunch thing yesterday and I think that’ll be it for the holidays. We had a party last year but it doesn’t look like we’ll have one this year.
I have a great boss. Everyone in the office received a $1000.00 bonus (after taxes!), and today we and our spouses are all going to a hockey game with tickets on the club level! Since the venue for the game is a good six hour drive away, our hotel is paid for by the company.
Don’t hate me. I have worked in places that gave nothing or close to it for years.
Sadly I don’t have experience in that field. But I’d work my butt off for an employer that’s in my neck of the woods, preferably one that is in a field I do have experience in.
One that knows & appreciates adults. Friday, although sick, I came in because this company expected of me. I did my best to finish the day, but when my head started to swim and I worried my judgement might cause mistakes, I set my outbox assistant, set my away VM, gathered the one must do that day item left and added bullet point simple-simon instructions on how to handle it. I then told my supervisor I had to leave for the day. As the room started to move and as my nose was running like a spigot, she turned to me and asked if I understood what ‘commitment to the company’ meant. I apologized for being too sick to continue that day and said I’d discuss that with her Monday, but that the room was spinning right then and I couldn’t think straight. I left and went home to heal from flu. Sick as I was, I still realized that her idea of ‘commitment’ comes with a straightjacket. Please Og, tell me Someone is hiring before Christmas…
No bonuses, lunches, or gifts, and I have to work from 11PM Christmas Eve until 7:30AM Christmas morning. Lucky me.
Very odd so far…walk in to the office and you cannot tell that a holiday is coming up. Eve and Day off, after (and before) just shut up and do your work. To be fair, since this is my 1st year, I don’t know what the next week will bring. We are going out to a late lunch on Friday and then (gasp!) we can go straight home. So that is probably an hour early. I’d be shocked if I got any kind of present.