Education & Work How generous is your work at xmas?

Ive worked at places before that were incredibly generous at xmas time. It always made you feel valued as an employee.

One workplace just gave us an xmas ham each year and that was still really nice.

My current workplace of 6 years... does a xmas buffet lunch that I never go to because they slug us $60 for our partners. And that's it. No bonus. No night out. No ham. No nothing.

Is this the norm or am I right to feel like my workplace are a bunch of cheapskates?

 

Do they pay you?

 

Your point being that you consider your regular pay is appreciation enough?

Kind of misses the point of xmas though. Parents don't normally say to their kids "the regular expenses I incur raising you is compensation enough and you will be getting nothing for xmas as a result".

I know your work isn't mum and dad. But it is an opportunity to show appreciation toward others regardless.

 

Not very generous.

We get an office Xmas lunch, no partners (this doesn't worry me).
A $50 movie voucher. That goes a long way at the movies these days.
No bonus. No payrise this year.

We all know they could at least give us $300 vouchers with no FBT like other accounting firms ...

 

We get fruit boxes twice a week, coffee machines, bickies and stuff.

We had our XMas party on Friday night just gone, they had 308 of us (60 of which were partners) on a boat for 5 hours, it was lovely and there is no charge for bringing your partner along .

We also have a monthly BBQ, Monthly morning tea with cake for everyone with a birthday in that month and lastly a big lunch on the last working day before XMas, and twice a year in Mar and Sept we have a company update night where the chairman updates us on the company and we all hang out and have dinner and drinks.

We usually get a nice gift off the boss each year at XMas and bonuses and pay rises and company shares each year (not at XMas though) .

The last two companies I worked for, bringing your partner to an event was not an option and the last place my wife worked for, I was invited but it was 50 bucks if I wanted to go.

We are pretty well looked after where I work currently and I would very much like to work here until I retire .

Having worked at companies that don't place a high value on showing appreciation to their employees, I am well aware of how lucky I am to work for the company that I do

 

Even just 10% of that would be enough to feel pretty damn appreciated.

 

My boss is sending the ex, her partner & the kids overseas for 4 weeks.

I asked him If I could throw in a few more $ to ensure she didn't come back.

 

Yup, best company I have ever worked for and not only do they do all this, but they are also 100% supporting my move up to QLD, I keep the same boss and the same job (and Salary ) I just stop working out of the office here one day and 6 weeks later after my xmas break, I just work out of one of the offices up in QLD .

 

A $50 movie voucher is at least something.

I did work for one place which would take you out for a night and just spoil you. Fancy restaurant. Drinks all night. Bowling. Probably worked out at $300 per person. It was awesome.

 

Best company- Christmas bonus on top of regular pay and personalised card from the Managing Director to staff.

Worse company- Killing the mood and telling staff that they need to work harder during the lunch or else there will be cuts made.

My partner always seem to go to company paid functions which they seem to go all out and no expenses spared, with taxi vouchers provided to ensure that staff members are able to get back home safely but the bummer is they are not allowed to bring their partners to these functions due to an incident couple of years ago.

 

My boss is a tightass and wont buy me anything

 

When I used to employ people I found it makes no difference how much gratitude you show them. If they are good workers they are good workers, the dead weight entitled is still dead entitled weight. A fruit basket at Christmas makes no difference.

 

This sounds like it could be a good story?

 

I treat work and family differently. You dont?

 

Yawn. Move along. Your trollyness has no power over me muggle.

 

Of course. But the good workers missing out because of the bad workers is a bum deal.

 

the previous firm my wife worked at changed their policy one year to say no departmental xmas parties. There were a few complaints (from the managers) and so they declared ok, you can have departmental parties, but not more than $75 per head. They also still had the epic company wide xmas party, bonuses, pay rises, small present, gift voucher...

I started working for a big Telco vendor in 2000, just as the dot com crash hit and there were layoffs left right and centre. They showed their appreciation of me by not laying me off.

When I returned to the firm in 2007, they had just started doing xmas parties again and it was pretty good.

Cheers,
Inertia.

 

Maybe not things like fruit baskets at Christmas, (that doesnt matter too much imo), but regularly (a couple of times per year) telling your staff personally that you appreciate the great work that they are doing, and giving feedback on work they are doing - that is very much appreciated by me. Makes me feel like what I am doing is appreciated and I want to do the best I can do for that manager as the work you are doing is being noticed.

 

Damn it. Now I'm going to have to get my assistant a bloody Christmas Hamper or I'll feel bad about myself.