How was your bonus?

renditt · Post by **renditt** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:30 am

At least for those of us working in the financial industry, it is bonus season. Just curious how everybody is doing.

leonidas · Post by **leonidas** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:34 am

No raise this year (again) but roughly a 10% bonus which was a bit higher than last year.

Cernel · Post by **Cernel** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:36 am

As Jim Mora might say when asked about the "Playoffs"

Bonus? What Bonus? Don't talk to me about Bonus.
(I'm retired, so no bonus here)

Grt2bOutdoors · Post by **Grt2bOutdoors** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:37 am

Some have been told their bonus is they are still employed.

Tim_in_GA · Post by **Tim_in_GA** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:40 am

GRT2BOUTDOORS wrote:Some have been told their bonus is they are still employed.

Exactly. I'm happy to have kept my job after two rounds of layoffs in the past two years.

jeffyscott · Post by **jeffyscott** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:51 am

My bonus was a significant reduction in pay. Adjusted for inflation, net pay after deductions for benefits is now less than it was in 1992.

camper · Post by **camper** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:27 am

Government worker here. I have been at the same job for 9.5 years. I have gotten 3 raises in that time. When there is enough money we are supposed to get a raise once a year. I have been furloughed for the previous 3 years. This year the furloughs have been "temporarily suspended". I am lucky because I have been there a while and haven't had to worry about layoffs. We can only hope the furloughs have ended for good. That would be like a bonus.

Go Blue 99 · Post by **Go Blue 99** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:30 am

We'll find out in the next few weeks. Last year was my best bonus in the five years I've been working here (10.2%). I'd be very happy to get that this year.

The Wizard · Post by **The Wizard** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:43 am

I work in engineering. We don't get bonuses as a matter of course. The company HAS in the past toyed with the concept of giving out bonuses and keeping salary level unchanged for the following year. I don't think that worked out too well; we don't do it anymore. They just do sporadic bonuses from time to time (a few hundred $$) as a morale booster now...

BuckyBadger · Post by **BuckyBadger** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:49 am

My husband has gotten previously, and appears to have gotten this year, as a "bonus" a 4% deposit into his 401k.

No bonuses for me!

bhead33 · Post by **bhead33** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:54 am

10% raise and 10% bonus. I was always a consultant before relatively recently becoming a fulltime employee. I don't consider bonuses when figuring out my budgets and they come as a pleasant surprise.

renditt · Post by **renditt** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:04 am

Just had my discussion, down 20% vs last year, pretty much as expected.

leonidas · Post by **leonidas** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:10 am

Even though I got a higher bonus this year, our base salaries have been stagnant for the past 3 years and overtime was eliminiated. Since 2008 my overall pay is down about 15% non inflation adjusted.

englishgirl · Post by **englishgirl** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:22 am

I got a gym bag. Last year I got a golf umbrella. The year before that I got a travel mug.

All the above are branded with my employer's logo, so I have a sneaking suspicion that they are marketing leftovers, or maybe they get a bigger discount on the order this way if they give one to all the staff too.

So, um, I think it was better this year?

I haven't had a cash bonus since 2007/2008. I am not in the finance industry, though.

kenyan · Post by **kenyan** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:55 am

No bonus, no raise again. I did get two promotions last year, each with a nominal raise. However, due to the very small (and often completely missing) cost-of-living adjustments, I will just barely be outpacing inflation for the first 7 years of my career. So much for the early-mid career being the time to increase your salary.

Atilla · Post by **Atilla** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:07 pm

Pay is based on 7% of gross revenue generated over the previous four quarters; adjusted quarterly.

A bonus is when I make more money for the owners and take my 7% cut of the new money.

NightOwl · Post by **NightOwl** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:23 pm

About four times as large as last year's, but not particularly large in an absolute sense (I'm not in finance either). It's been entertaining listening to what my co-workers have done with their bonus money. I stay quiet, because my answer -- half to Vanguard, half to student loans -- is almost embarrassingly boring.

I too am very grateful for any bonus that comes my way. I only started receiving them a few years ago, and they pretty much disappeared for a few years there.

NightOwl

Exige · Post by **Exige** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:53 pm

No bonus but first raise in 3 years about 3%

tyrion · Post by **tyrion** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:04 pm

We don't fine out until mid-March. Last 2 years have been 2.5-3% merit increases, 6-8% bonus. Sounds like I've been lucky.

Watty · Post by **Watty** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:22 pm

When I was first starting out I got the all time worst "bonus" that was even too bizarre to put in a Dilbert cartoon.

I was working for a medical software company that had been bought out by a cosmetic company to diversify their holdings.

At Christmas time they came around with a bag of cosmetics for each of the employees.

For a single guy that wasn't too exciting, but the kicker was that most of them were marked with something like "For testing only: NOT for human use" .

Now that is how to show your employees how much they are truely valued!

stoptothink · Post by **stoptothink** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:31 pm

40% of my program and more than 1/4 of my entire organization has been laid-off since September, a cost-of-living raise let alone a bonus would be a joke. Haven't receive a salary increase of any sort since I started 3.5yrs ago, despite countless promises...I did get a zip drive for Christmas.

hicabob · Post by **hicabob** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:37 pm

stoptothink wrote:40% of my program and more than 1/4 of my entire organization has been laid-off since September, a cost-of-living raise let alone a bonus would be a joke. Haven't receive a salary increase of any sort since I started 3.5yrs ago, despite countless promises...I did get a zip drive for Christmas.

A zip drive? Wow - they must have raided the obsolete surplus stores - perhaps next year will be a 5.25" floppy disk drive?

scouter · Post by **scouter** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:43 pm

I work for myself and business is down, so no bonus for me, says me. I'm a tough boss to work for.

zaga21 · Post by **zaga21** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:02 pm

I got a raise at review time, then shortly after that a promotion with another raise. My bonus was a bit smaller than 2010, but that wasn't surprising as 2010 was much larger than I was expecting. The company is not doing as well by the numbers this year, so even though I'm now in a higher bonus bracket I would not be surprised to have an even smaller or even nonexistant bonus for 2012.

Mu husband didn't get a bonus in 2011, but his company gives out a max of $250 for bonuses so no biggie. They did increase the company match for the 401-K starting in 2012, which is very nice!

likegarden · Post by **likegarden** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:58 pm

I was not a financial or government worker, I am now retired. The pension from my former employer is not inflation adjusted, is like a fixed annuity. Once in a blue moon or every 5 years we get a 13th pension check, yes that was my bonus, I liked it.

milestogo · Post by **milestogo** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:42 pm

My salary was reduced by 15% but I got a 2% bonus. I was informed this was good news! Really?
I do have a good job so I am not complaining; the orwellian double speak is annoying.

Flashes1 · Post by **Flashes1** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:10 pm

I work for a top 10 bank, last year's bonus was "take your breath away" large.....but it essentially made up for no bonus in 2010 because the winds out of Washington weren't kind.....this year we've been told they should be approx. 80% of last years which would be pretty good. Our dept. has had record years......time to step up in houses and spur the economy time!

Breaking ground in March.

daggerboard · Post by **daggerboard** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:31 pm

Happy with my bonus - 25% more than last year.

One thing I struggle with is the bonus tax math. I get my bonus in December, so it should be taxed at the marginal tax rate with some minor adjustments (e.g., whether or not I exceed socsec withholding etc).

I have a detailed excel model where I predict very precisely my net paychecks for my regular monthly income, but no amount of fiddling and research gets me to the actual withholding #s for my year-end bonus.

I think the payroll processor's algorithm may be a bit off (withholds too little).

At this point, I just assume a lower net pay-out than I actually end up getting, and simply earmark the excess for the check to the taxman come April.

Anon1234 · Post by **Anon1234** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:31 pm

Good bonus, but...

The setup: Our compensation people have pay ranges and bonuses. If you are at midpoint, and bonus is "at target" our company pays at the 70th percentile compared to their survey of peers (I believe they buy that peer survey from Aon Hewitt). With no bonus midpoint pay is about the 40th percentile. It takes about 5 years of solid, productive performance reviews to get from entry pay to midpoint (training and job transition learning years are not considered productive).

So, I'm at entry pay, but we're getting good bonuses this year, about 150% of target. I suppose that puts me somewhere around 50-60th percentile for my industry peers.

Die Hard · Post by **Die Hard** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:36 pm

Only bonus is if we exceed our quota. After about 4 quarters, you're quota is unreachable, so no more bonus.

Kinda the "dangle the carrot" trick.

401k match cut in half.

No raise in 3 years.

I still have a job but when times are tough, corporate expectations get mind boggling.

norookie · Post by **norookie** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:05 pm

:peace

IowaFarmBoy · Post by **IowaFarmBoy** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:25 pm

Jelly of the Month club
-Clark Griswald

:lol:

alloy · Post by **alloy** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:31 pm

I work hourly. I think I might just treat myself to some fat overtime to earn my bonus. Couldn't be happier.

interplanetjanet · Post by **interplanetjanet** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:56 pm

Higher than last year, but corporate earnings are significantly higher as well. Half of mine depends on corp performance and half is personal, though if either one is too low there's no bonus at all.

I'm first and foremost happy to have a job that is reasonably secure, provides a good level of benefits and is engaging and challenging. Most days, I enjoy getting up for work.

-janet

BHCadet · Post by **BHCadet** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:48 am

My bonus is not much.

But, it is more than double last year.

beckjl727 · Post by **beckjl727** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:02 am

It was my first year with a bonus (new job). The bonus was based half on performance and half on the company's profits. I got 6%, 10% was the max I could receive. I'm not complaining.

tdogz · Post by **tdogz** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:02 am

Our company's year-end bonus was 1.7 weeks salary for 2011 (compared to 1.6 weeks in 2010).

I also got a 8% pay raise for the new year and a 10% of my 2011 salary as a one-time bonus, but half of the raise and all of that bonus is because I got a promotion. Of course, even after all that, I'm still in the 15% tax bracket, so the dollar value is probably a lot less than others here who got a smaller percentage.
But I can't complain too much about actually having a job and being almost fairly compensated now.

Midpack · Post by **Midpack** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:15 am

renditt wrote:At least for those of us working in the financial industry, it is bonus season. Just curious how everybody is doing.

My bonus was a little higher, though far from the peak around 2006. I was/am not in financial services. Your experience in finance runs contrary to everything I read about Wall Street bonuses in the last few months though..

mgullo · Post by **mgullo** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:13 pm

lrisius wrote:Jelly of the Month club
-Clark Griswald

:lol:

Irisius, that's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.

How was your bonus compared to last year?