Our company does not give bonuses to non-exempt employees, sad to say. Administrative assistants (with the exception of those Admins who support Executive Committee members -- they are exempt employees) are only eligible for relatively small spot bonuses as recognition for completion of a special project or similar event. We can also get a bonus in lieu of a pay increase if we are topped out in our salary range. The company discussed adding certain classes of non-exempts to the annual bonus program, but they never came through. It's insulting to those of us who work so hard to make this company successful. The bonus program in place (for exempt employees only) is performance based and has several components, including how well the company performs both domestically and internationally (it is not only personal performance but company and division performance as well).

I work for a very small, independently owned company. They offer me 3% of profit as a bonus. The only criteria is they must make a profit! Sounds funny, but in the mortgage industry that doesn't always happen anymore. Last quarter, we didn't make a profit, so I received a "free" week off with pay. It was better than nothing!

In a nutshell, exempt employees are on salary. Non-exempt employees are paid hourly plus a "premium" rate for any overtime hours.

As a salaried employee, I sometimes wince (privately!) at the generosity of the annual bonuses given to non-exempts who have already been paid time and a half or better for any "extra" hours they put in.

Have you asked management to explain their bonus philosophy? (Keep it low key and conversational; it may be a touchy subject!) Perhaps they feel that your hard work is just expected and already adequately compensated. Perhaps there really isn't that much money to go around. Perhaps they're selfish monsters who work you as hard as they can and keep the profits for themselves! ;)

well done, man

My company gives bonuses twice a year based on their financial results. They refer to it as their profit-sharing plan. The amount of the bonus depends on your position and length with the company. Every year it seems to get larger but we've been in a growth mode for the past 3 years. It is greatly appreciated no matter what amount it is. Especially in these days of little recognition or monetary perks.

We began our bonus program by having everyone in our company read 'The Great Game of Business' by Jack Stack. This book deals with open book management where financials are openly discussed. The book explains how sharing information & goals with everyone has a positive impact on the company. The profits increase and great ideas & suggestions come . Everyone in the organization is pushing for a common goal. Perhaps the goal is contracting a certain number of new clients, selling a set amount of product, obtaining a pre-set profit margin, etc. The company decides what is most important and shares that goal with the entire company. Scoreboards showing progress are set up in the company so all employees can see how the company is doing. In our company, everyone, from the entry-level person to the senior executives, is elegible for a quarterly bonus. The bonus is based on both profits and performance. It's a great program and GGOB even has seminars on how to begin the program at your company. It has worked out well for us.