What kind of holiday bonus do you get?

Published

Just curious what different hospitals, clinics, organizations etc are giving their staff over the holidays this year. As a nurse I've never gotten more than a couple hundred bucks as a Christmas bonus but it's always appreciated when employers give a little extra. What are you getting this year? Cash? Coffee mug? Please share!

Specializes in Critical Care, Surgical ICU.

For the past 4 years we received holiday bonuses ranging from $250-$500. I work for a large teaching facility and they stated everytime they turn a profit the employees will benefit.

We just got an email saying no bonuses anymore. :(

It was great while it lasted.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've never gotten a holiday "bonus" but last year at my previous job they gave us (all the case managers) the entire week off after Christmas. I jumped for joy when i heard that, to me spending more time with my family was better than any cash bonus!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.

We got a free turkey - actual turkey, not just a coupon for one. I don't eat turkey so I donated it to a food bank. There's my bonus! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Bonus! Good one! :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PACU, OR.

A new AN acquaintance mentioned that she didn't think Americans understood the concept of the 13th cheque, which is a treasured South African tradition. Most of the larger companies pay their employees one month's salary, minus tax, along with their November salary. There are obvious benefits to such a system, not only to the employees.

Come December, South Africans descend on the shops in their millions, and boy do they spend! Every child is fitted out with new clothes, from head to toe. New Church dresses and suits are bought. Edible goodies fly off the shelves and out of the refrigerators, and you have to fight your way to the tills in just about every shop you go into.

Christmas shopping is hectic everywhere you go, anywhere in the world; but think what a boost it would be to the US economy if you guys got that kind of bonus....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.
A new AN acquaintance mentioned that she didn't think Americans understood the concept of the 13th cheque, which is a treasured South African tradition. Most of the larger companies pay their employees one month's salary, minus tax, along with their November salary. There are obvious benefits to such a system, not only to the employees.

Come December, South Africans descend on the shops in their millions, and boy do they spend! Every child is fitted out with new clothes, from head to toe. New Church dresses and suits are bought. Edible goodies fly off the shelves and out of the refrigerators, and you have to fight your way to the tills in just about every shop you go into.

Christmas shopping is hectic everywhere you go, anywhere in the world; but think what a boost it would be to the US economy if you guys got that kind of bonus....

I've never even heard of a 13th check before this post....? :(:(:(:(:(

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PACU, OR.
I've never even heard of a 13th check before this post....? :(:(:(:(:(

If you're a salaried employee, paid a set monthly wage, you get a 13th pay cheque; mine is now paid in my birthday month instead of before Christmas. It depends on the employer's policy. Usually it is written into your contract of employment, as part of your conditions of service. This is the best arrangement from the employee's point of view.

The amount paid may differ in the case of weekly-paid employees, but most employers honour it. Only short-term contract workers and casual employees are excluded from the annual bonus, but the pay rates are usually pretty generous over the holiday season anyway.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
A new AN acquaintance mentioned that she didn't think Americans understood the concept of the 13th cheque, which is a treasured South African tradition. Most of the larger companies pay their employees one month's salary, minus tax, along with their November salary. There are obvious benefits to such a system, not only to the employees.

Come December, South Africans descend on the shops in their millions, and boy do they spend! Every child is fitted out with new clothes, from head to toe. New Church dresses and suits are bought. Edible goodies fly off the shelves and out of the refrigerators, and you have to fight your way to the tills in just about every shop you go into.

Christmas shopping is hectic everywhere you go, anywhere in the world; but think what a boost it would be to the US economy if you guys got that kind of bonus....

This is also fairly common in Mexico as well, but I don't know if it's universal there. The 13th check either comes out in November or December before Christmas.

It sure would be nice!! :up:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I've never gotten a real bonus -- just a token gift, such as a mug or Christmas ornament.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology.
:confused: At first, I was like c'mon..Bonus?? Then I read thru the responses. No, I have not gotten any cash bonus from an employer when it was a large hospital or institution. While employed for a private medical group, yes I did. I was rewarded for my hard work all year. What really annoyed me is this sense thru the thread, "Bonus..You are lucky you got a job!" Do young lawyers retort this to one another? Or any other profession? We as Nurses are being brainwashed into this mindset, the Hospital Inc's want us to have! Be grateful if we let you be employed! Its a dog eat dog world, cause new grad Nancy Nurse RN,BSN is gonna take ur job! They are encouraging this hateful, fearful attitude we wage at one another in the workplace. BTW, Merry X-Mas!:cool:

I agree, we as nurses have been both brainwashed and conditioned to believe that our job is done altruistically and that we shouldn't expect anything more from the hospital and should look to our patients and what we do for them and the gratification that we get from doing a good job. Of course this is all rubbish! It would really be nice some time to feel appreciated by the hospital, we are after all, the back bone of it. Without us, they wouldn't be able to admit any more patients, perform elective and necessary surgeries, deliver babies, etc. The doctors could not do all that we do by themselves and the hospitals would have to quickly shut their doors and close up shop, so to speak! And yet, the hospital as a whole, administrators and doctors treat us as though we're a very insignificant part of the whole scheme of things.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology.
I have been in nursing for 17 years. All I ever got was time and a half if you worked on the holiday. If a nurse gets a bonus (i.e. cash or a gift card), consider yourself very lucky as this is not the norm. Even a free turkey dinner is a perk...who has time to leave the unit to get it. Too many nurses do not understand the reality of nursing. I have seen too many new nurses coming into the field with a distorted view of what it is like to work in a hospital or nursing home. You punch in, get report, work your shift, hope you are not mandated or your replacement shows up, give report, leave, repeat the next day. Nurses are not part of the organizations management or real decision makers. Please do not confuse nursing with white collar work, for you will be very sad and disappointed. With the economic problems, hospitals have even more excuses to give nurses less. This years nurses day celebration was almost non existent...2 hours to get a scope of ice cream and listen to our nurse

leaders tell us how wonderful we are. Within an hour they ran out of ice cream and those who came could listen to a speaker and talk to the others in the room but no ice cream. Prior to nurses day, was physician day. There the doctors (who bring in money to the facilty) were treated to a lavish luncheon with a paid speaker to discuss how the doctors can maximize their investment money. The doctors were not regulated to a scope of ice cream but rather a full course meal and other take home goodies. I mention this for you to understand that even asking about getting a bonus is not fair question and only inflames the hurt that many of your colleagues suffer from on a day to day basis. Nursing is what it is. To talk about other realities does not change what nursing is. PS...now that the nursing "shortage" is over do not expect all the "peaks" we had to continue. Be glad for what we have and hope that we can hold on to this.

This is a sad commentary but true and even sadder is, most of us will quietly accept this as our reality.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology.
I Work in private family practice as an LPN, get December 24th and 31st off paid and $400 cash bonus. :)[/quote

WOW! Good for you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion