Goodbye to the bonus

A sign of the changing times:

In many companies, the year-end bonus is becoming a quaint memory of earlier times, when an extra envelope from payroll in December was an almost certain reward for everyone in a firm.

"We're seeing the holiday bonuses disappear," says Brian Drum, president of Drum Associates in New York. "Thirty-five years ago, when I first dealt with a lot of companies that used to pay the so-called Christmas bonus, it was a gift. Today, as companies are becoming larger and consolidated, they are giving because it's performance-related." Tying rewards to the performance of the company serves to motivate workers, employment specialists say.

My first newspaper job was with a small family-owned chain, and the Christmas bonus was an expected part of the compsensation package -- our bonuses amounted to about one paycheck. One of the biggest differences when I moved to a paper owned by a big nationwide chain was the absence of those bonuses. I've also seen other things go away, such as the Christmas party and the company picnic, which makes it more than just about money. The rituals that are vanishing were part of a culture in which employee and employer could expect a long and trusting relationship.

I can understand the argument about basing bonuses on performance rather than mere presence. But there's also something to be said for the small touches that make all workers feel appreciated.