Christmas Bonuses

Is anybody giving bonus money for their guys? We just had our annual party. I figure on spending 1% of sales on bonus and party every year. If I actually had made a budget there would be a line for it. :laugh:

Yes, already done on Dec. 9th. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

My bonus plan is very structured, but it works like this.

3% of sales minimum stays in the company. Anything over 3% is split into thirds. A minimum of 1 of those thirds (usually closer to 1/2 of anything over 3%) goes into the bonus pool. There is a prescribed formula for field staff, and office staff, with additional room for discretionary adds. For field people, their total pool is divided into thirds again: 1/3 goes to each man according to his hours worked from Dec. 1-Nov. 30. It's equal to all regardless of any other criteria. 1/3 goes to each man based on attendance, with a complex formula that takes into consideration the total number of weeks on the payroll and decending percentage of credit for every unexcused absence. The most unexcused absences in the whole company for a year was 4, and he's now gone. Most had none. Only 6 employees had any deduction of credit for an unexcused absence, which is a massive improvement since we started the program. 1/3 goes to each man on a similar basis, using seniority tracked through a maximum of 7 years. Well over 1/2 of my employees have full seniority of 7 years or more. 1 year employees get 30 percent credit and 7 years or more get 100%, then it also takes into consideration how many weeks they were on the payroll that year.

The bonuses were passed out at an employee/spouse banquet in plenty of time for them to use it for Christmas and the field staff dollar amounts ranged from $143 for a person hired 3 weeks proir, to almost $5,000. There have been some years where it was much better.

We also pass out "length of service" awards, for every 5 year milestone. Among others, I passed out this to one of my formen. It was attached to a Savage ML10-II, stainless barrel, 50 cal., with scope.

We also have a program that rewards projects that come in under time, and it includes stipulations that the job must also pass the warranty inspection, or the forman and lead man make repairs at minimum wage, or are paid minimum wage for the total time that our repair crew spends on the punchlist. Unfortunately, we didn't pay too many of these this year. Lots of projects over budget this year.

Then on Dec. 23, we had employee fun day. I got this idea from someone here. I think it was "Ansellovesfishing", and have been doing it for quite a number of years now. They guys really look forward to it, and I had 100% show for it this year, even though only 3 guys worked that morning.

I put cash on an iso board and we throw darts at it. I pass a can with numbers in it, then they throw in the order they drew. This year it was 1-32. I have three darts, each weighted differently and always throw them so that 1,4,7.... 2,5,8....3,6,9 etc always throw the same dart. Office guys throw too, but they throw for a field guy. This year we did it so the the office person threw for the guy directly in front of them. Also put some Lowes gift cards under chairs, and every $5 bill on the board had a number written on it, 1-24. I had 24 prizes on a table ranging from 18v cordless tool combo packs to little cheap things like packs of hook blades. Most of the cheaper prizes also had some cash taped to the back. Guys can take what they want in the order of their number 1-24, but cannot touch the prizes until they select, so that they can't see which ones have a little bonus. There were things like a tape measure with a $50 bill wadded up in the belt clip, and little screwdriver set with a Ben Franklin taped to the back.

That party is a real hit. Even if a guy only walks out with 50-100 bucks, he still has fun. Some guys might walk out $500 or more in cash and prizes.

We do this at a hotel conference room, order a boat load of pizzas, serve sodas/coffee/water, and send them home with a ham for Christmas.

I love this stuff, it beats the heck out of sending it to the government as taxes.

From the '06 party [IMG]http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/44274/2108804740049336972S600x600Q85.jpg[/IMG]

Very funny Robert, :dry: PC

If i was a glacier id be really cool and and frosty!

:S :S :S :S

This is too funny, I just had this conversation tonight. My NEW wanna be son in law . HE IS A GLACIER with a fairly big company, bonus was a $20.00 food store card. ????????????????????????????????? Yes, they did have a dinner too, to be fair. Fair.............???????????The bosses aren't hanging in the air putting up with all weather condtions, this poor guy risks his life everyday. I'm taking a breathe.

Anyway, the way we did it was, hours worked within the year x .20 to .25 depending on our own profitabilty. Very reasonable. Plus the party. PC

I seem to stress over this every year. The senior ones I give between 12-15 hundred,turkey, bottle, newer ones between-3-5 hundred, turkey, bottle, The only thank you call comes from the new guy with the smallest bonus. Am I AKA Scrooge? http://www.rooferscoffeeshop.com/rcs/users/guppy/

Already gave, all got $300 and a seventeen pound ham.

i am scrooging it this year. but i do like the 1% idea