[tobyaxis]

Again just curious as to how many employers give out Holiday/End of Year Bonuses to employees.

Yes or No

[chuck5121]

yes

[Mariss Freimanis]

Yes and no depending on who has been naughty or nice.:-)

[tobyaxis]

Yes and no depending on who has been naughty or nice.:-)

LOL, that is a great way to evaluate employees.

[Larken]

Yes, in good times about a weeks pay, in hard times about 1/2 a weeks pay.
(this year it was 1/2 a weeks pay lol)

Larry K

[scadvice]

When I had my old shop, years back, it was about 1/2 a week’s pay. The new shop I'm setting up will be a little different. First of all, something I started in the old days was to take everyone to lunch when we sold the metal chips to the scrap dealer.
This time I may do the same with a little less fancy lunch and save the money left over to add to the bonuses at the year end. All will get some bonus like the 1/2 weeks pay (have not decided yet on that percentage). The chip money left over for the year will be based on employee's value to the company with respect to the other employees. Some percentage… and added to the main bonus. Since I'll be incorporated this time, there may be some future bonuses also added from the yearend profit. That also will be based on the employee value formula. All these ideas have to get past the other stockholder and CPA of course and will be slowly incorporated.
Steve

[cad01]

yes, just got mine today. 3% of our annual gross

[Geof]

yes, just got mine today. 3% of our annual gross

3% of annual gross????

That seems incredibly high, most places calculate bonus on net income before taxes. Subtract all payroll expenses, overhead, outside services, materials and consumable costs from the gross to get the net income before taxes; then calculate the bonus on this.

[Nastyzen]

This year there's no employees left but me the boss.
I'm lucky we havn't gone bankrupt.
When times are better I take em out for lunch on company time and give em 100 bucks cash min.
2010 has got to be better!
Merry xmass anyway.

[Geof]

Just to be a Devil's Advocate and maybe start something going; why should employers be expected to give bonuses?

For instance as a company owner I may choose to leave profits in the company and buy some more efficient machines, rather than taking the profits out and buying myself a Lamborghini. The more efficient machines mean that productivity improves and the people running the machines have an easier time of it; and of course profits improve. So the following year I do take the profits out and buy myself two Lamborghinis; why should I pay any bonus?

[tobyaxis]

Just to be a Devil's Advocate and maybe start something going; why should employers be expected to give bonuses?

For instance as a company owner I may choose to leave profits in the company and buy some more efficient machines, rather than taking the profits out and buying myself a Lamborghini. The more efficient machines mean that productivity improves and the people running the machines have an easier time of it; and of course profits improve. So the following year I do take the profits out and buy myself two Lamborghinis; why should I pay any bonus?

While I can see your point and agree, I started this thread to get a rough idea of how many employers give bonuses for the Holidays/End of Year.

A Bonus is a Gift to employees, it should not be expected.

BTW: I have an idea of what kind of employer you are, LOL Lets just say that I like your practices.

[Geof]

....A Bonus is a Gift to employees, it should not be expected.....

You are probably astute enough to know that I am being naughty and stirring the pot a little bit; but the part I quoted above brings to mind an article I read in a business magazine. It was a number of years ago, late 1980s I think, and Canada had dropped into a recession. The article described how a company in Ontario stopped paying bonuses and having a company dinner at the end of the year because business had taken a nosedive. The employees filed a complaint with the Labor Relations Board and the LRB ruled that because the bonus and dinner had been provided for several years they had become part of the 'conditions of employment' and the company could not arbitrarily stop providing them.

[tobyaxis]

I hear you and agree that it should be left up to an employer to give gifts in the form of a Holiday/Year End Bonus.

One thing I can see as an employee at least 60% of the time is "What kind of company I am working hard for".

One that shows appreciation for efforts or one that just takes advantage.

Again I started this Thread not to point a finger, but to get a rough idea.

BTW: you are being naughty, LOL.

[Mariss Freimanis]

We are a small company so we depend on highly motivated employees to give us a edge. A salary is only the contracted amount an employee can depend on getting every month. A year-end bonus is in appreciation of how much an employee's dedication has exceeded expectations. Bonuses are substantial and often exceed 10% of annual salary.

[murphdog]

Hello,
On a somewhat different note! If this post needs to go somewhere else let me know. If you had employees making personal items, with at cost materials, on their time using company resources (machines/tooling) and they want to sell those items and build new/different ones. How would you approach this?

[tobyaxis]

Hello,
On a somewhat different note! If this post needs to go somewhere else let me know. If you had employees making personal items, with at cost materials, on their time using company resources (machines/tooling) and they want to sell those items and build new/different ones. How would you approach this?

Personally I am a strong believer that personal projects should be done, and only done on personal time.

Did they ask for the materials or steal them?
Did they ask to use the machinery and tooling, or just do what ever they felt like doing as if the shop and equipment was theirs?

It all depends on how you feel IMHO.

[dertsap]

Hello,
On a somewhat different note! If this post needs to go somewhere else let me know. If you had employees making personal items, with at cost materials, on their time using company resources (machines/tooling) and they want to sell those items and build new/different ones. How would you approach this?

if their making and selling parts on their time with your material them bill them for the material , fair is fair , as far as allowing them to use your equipment then that's up to you to decide if you are comfortable with it , only you can decide if they are responsible and respectful enough to use the equipment .
personally some of the companies that i worked at were cool with it as long as i cleaned my mess and didn't disturb the guys who were working

you could ask for a % of their profit if they are seriously making lots of parts

[cyclestart]

Hello,
On a somewhat different note! If this post needs to go somewhere else let me know. If you had employees making personal items, with at cost materials, on their time using company resources (machines/tooling) and they want to sell those items and build new/different ones. How would you approach this?

The last shop I worked for allowed employees to rent machines and tooling. Consumables were your expense. The rates were listed in the employee policy manual. A decent deal if you needed a cnc, or at least a lot cheaper than hiring the shop to do the work. Not a great deal if you just needed to drill a few holes or make a couple of welds. The policy was meant for personal projects, not for using the shop as a rent-a-factory. Otoh, it didn't expressly forbid making items for resale as far as I can remember.

[casta-baga]

I get 5% every 6 month plus at the end of the year I get a percentage from the prototypes that I'm involved with.

all together I get 15% to 20% thats is pretty sweet...
but... what is not sweet anymore is... since the economy went down, i have been working with machines as-well, I used to seat my ass off and walk all day, now I actually have to set-up and run the machine too...

lots of fun.

[tenaja]

I won't, and never will. Employees will appreciate a bonus for about two or three weeks. If you don't give one, or if you give a smaller one the next year, they will be upset with you for most of the year.

It's plain human nature. A psychologist was getting frustrated with the noise of kids playing ball in the yard outside his window. So he went out and told them all he loved watching them play, and gave them each a dollar. Two days later, he did the same thing but gave them all a quarter. The next day, he told them all he had were pennies.

Despite having fun for free, the kids never returned. They were upset that they were no longer properly paid for their entertainment. Of course, this is what the doctor hoped to achieve.