Chit Chat

Totally screwed, and not in a fun way

novella1186novella1186 member
5000 Comments 500 Love Its Second Anniversary First Answer
edited December 2014 in Chit Chat
Ugh. Can I just whine for a minute? I woke this morning so excited, feeling like it was Christmas, cuz I was under the impression that we were all being paid bonuses today. And I could really, really use the money. Well, FI works for this same company and he got his bonus today. I did not get mine. Turns out, I won't be getting one at all because I'm salaried. WTF? Like seriously... what the fucking fuck? 

Last Christmas I did not get a bonus because I was still a temp, even though I wasn't supposed to be one. I started as a temp at this company in a different department for 6 months. I applied for a job in my current department that was NOT meant to be a temp position, but they transferred me in that way cuz I didn't have as much experience as they would have liked but they thought I was capable of doing the job, so they were giving me a test run. They kept me as a temp for 6 more months, even though my boss AND her boss kept gushing about how fast I learned everything and how amazing I was doing. 

So for over a year, I had not one single day of vacation time, no paid holidays, and no benefits. It was extremely frustrating. (And I know many people have to deal with this, sometimes permanently, and I know I didn't really have it that bad.) It was just incredibly frustrating to watch my FI and all my friends at work and everyone in my department get all these things that I wasn't getting even though I was doing the same work. 

Last year I FINALLY got hired in. One week too late to get the bonus this summer. I had to listen to everyone else talk about the huge bonus they had gotten, including my FI, and at this point I had been hired in for over 4 months but that wasn't long enough to get the fucking bonus. I was then given a small raise and switched to salaried because they were apparently really impressed with the work I was doing, which was awesome. But now I find out since I'm salaried I get no bonus. Again. I fucking missed it again. And since our company has been acquired and the deal is supposed to close this spring, there won't be any bonuses next summer. So after 2 and a half years of working here, I will never get one. Maybe this is petty and I'm being a big baby right now, but I'm so mad. 

I also just found out that I have way less vacation time left than I thought because they prorated it since I was hired in March, which I was told they would not do. So that awkward gap between Christmas and New Years? I'll be sitting alone in the office just like I was last year, because my entire group AND my FI AND the people I'm friends with in other departments are all taking that time off. 

I'll get over it. I'm just mad right now. I feel like I keep getting so screwed. And like I said, I know there are people who have it much worse than me so I don't want to sound like I don't realize it's not all bad or seem totally ungrateful. I was basically unemployed for three years after college and was taking whatever kind of shitty part-time jobs I could find and it was miserable. So at least (for now) I have a salaried position at a good company. I know I should quit whining and feeling sorry for myself. BUT I REALLY FUCKING WANTED THAT BONUS. End whine. Thanks for reading. 

ETF: I put wine instead of whine every single time I wrote that word. If I were wining, I would be in a way better mood. Ugh. 
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Re: Totally screwed, and not in a fun way

  • That is incredibly frustrating! Our company doesn't get bonuses at all, if it makes you feel better. We all get a $25 gift card to a local grocery store (not even a fancy grocery store).

    As for having to work between Christmas and NY, I know that in our company, if you're here around the holidays, you're pretty much doing jack shit anyways. So maybe at least you'll have a week of free time at work?
  • *hugs* Want us to go get your boss like Cousin Eddie did for Clark?
    Haha YES! Actually my boss is awesome, It's HER boss who sucks. 

    I forgot in my giant whine/rant to mention that FI's group is all having catered lunches today and they get fucking filet mignon. And then his boss bought out a whole movie theater so they're spending the rest of the workday watching a fucking movie. They do stuff like this ALL THE TIME. All their group lunches are always at super fancy expensive restaurants that I don't ever get to go to cuz I can't afford it and my stupidass group never goes there. 

    For my group's xmas party, they're just doing a dinner that I'm not even going to cuz the cheap shitty place they catered the food from makes me super sick every time I eat there. (Last time they had a big special dinner it was catered from there and it was wraps with cold lunch meat in them. wtf?) 

    Last year our Xmas party was a potluck. in the office. Wow. Thanks. 

    Boss's boss thinks doing social things is a waste of time and she hates spending any money on parties so my group always gets screwed. My friend's department today took a bus out of town to go to a murder mystery show and a museum and a fancy dinner. 

    Bah! Kidnap away! 
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  • That sucks.  I would think that salaried employees should be more deserving of a bonus.  They are often the ones putting in extra effort and working extra hours without additional pay (or the undeserving ones that use the salary as an excuse to slack off).  So, right up front I think it's a bullshit policy that salary employees are left out of the bonuses. 

    But, even besides that, it just sucks that you keep getting screwed out of it. 

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  • kat1114 said:
    That is incredibly frustrating! Our company doesn't get bonuses at all, if it makes you feel better. We all get a $25 gift card to a local grocery store (not even a fancy grocery store).

    As for having to work between Christmas and NY, I know that in our company, if you're here around the holidays, you're pretty much doing jack shit anyways. So maybe at least you'll have a week of free time at work?
    This is true. Maybe I'll try to get some wedding stuff done or something. It's just having to get up super early and go out in the cold and then be so bored while FI is home in his pajamas drinking a glass of whiskey and watching movies that makes me so mad! 
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  • That sucks. I kind of know the feeling, too - my FI gets a bonus in the thousands at Christmas, but I work for what is technically a nonprofit (not a charity, a quasi-governmental regulatory body) so I get, like, $100 in a card as a "bonus" because our money comes from member fees, we don't actually make money like a normal business. I get jealous and I sometimes want to go work somewhere corporate just for stuff like that. 



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  • That sucks.  I would think that salaried employees should be more deserving of a bonus.  They are often the ones putting in extra effort and working extra hours without additional pay (or the undeserving ones that use the salary as an excuse to slack off).  So, right up front I think it's a bullshit policy that salary employees are left out of the bonuses. 

    But, even besides that, it just sucks that you keep getting screwed out of it. 

    Exactly! I don't get paid over-time anymore, so when I really need extra money (like for unexpected vet bills for my dogs, medical bills I hadn't planned on, wedding expenses, etc) there's not a thing I can do about it. But then no bonus either? WTF? I work extra hours all the time which kind of sucks when you're salaried, so give me the damn bonus! 
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  • kat1114 said:
    That is incredibly frustrating! Our company doesn't get bonuses at all, if it makes you feel better. We all get a $25 gift card to a local grocery store (not even a fancy grocery store).

    As for having to work between Christmas and NY, I know that in our company, if you're here around the holidays, you're pretty much doing jack shit anyways. So maybe at least you'll have a week of free time at work?
    This is true. Maybe I'll try to get some wedding stuff done or something. It's just having to get up super early and go out in the cold and then be so bored while FI is home in his pajamas drinking a glass of whiskey and watching movies that makes me so mad! 
    I sometimes watch Netflix at work when I am really slow. No whiskey, but hey, it beats work. Also, I found there was a lot of wedding related stuff I was able to get done at work. I could do emails, gather addresses for invites, work on our registry, make a floor plan, etc.
  • My company just donates food to needy families on behalf of the employees. They've done away with sponsored Christmas parties, bonuses, and small gifts. 

    I'm cool with it. I'm also out of vaca time for this year and have to come in on the 26th. I'm bringing my dog. Booyah!
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  • I'm pretty sure I'm not getting a bonus either; I haven't been here long enough.  Fi just got a great bonus though (2 weeks' pay) and we are both excited about it.  Wedding fund!
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    "I'm not a rude bitch.  I'm ten rude bitches in a large coat."

  • abl13abl13 member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2014

    Ugh, sorry! That is really lame. I noticed this year that I didn't get all of the vacation I was supposed to and the reason why is that my boss misread our HR policy when I was hired on. At first I was so pissed but then I asked her if they would make the exception for me and she owned up to her mistake and they gave me my vacation. Maybe try asking?

    And I feel you on the Christmas party. In the past they would rent out a party center during a work day and have (free) festivities for us. Our company is having a record breaking year this year and this year we are having a potluck in the office. They aren't even providing bottled water. I would rather just skip it and leave early.


    ETA: They also close the office between Christmas and New Years and force employees to use vacation time or take it unpaid. I seriously HATE this. My H's company also closes but the days are considered holidays so you don't have to use vacation time. Makes me ragey.

  • That sucks that you missed it by such little things...to make you feel better:
    I don't get bonuses.
    I'm salaried which means I work 10 hour days, holidays, weekends, and through lunch breaks which equates me to being paid LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE.
    I work every weekend and on major holidays including Christmas day, Thanksgiving, New Years, etc.
    /end rant
  • I'm sorry!  I'm pretty sure I'll never get bonuses, but neither do any other government lawyers, so I never expect it, either.  I remember last year FI got a shockingly small bonus and it REALLY sucked and just drained him.  It's horrible work so hard and feel like you aren't appreciated.
  • That sucks. I had something similar happen to me years ago, though I didn't stay quite as long as you did. It's a lousy way to make employees loyal.

    My company still isn't in the black so no bonuses. I've also been working an average of 11 hours/day for the last month- and this will continue through February. 2 years and no raise yet either.

    When DH started his job 2 years ago, they started him at a super-low rate but promised 20% raises each year for his first 4 years. He's due for his second raise at the end of the year and they announced last week that they are doing away with the program. He also doesn't get bonuses.

    Sometimes companies suck.
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  • That sucks. I had something similar happen to me years ago, though I didn't stay quite as long as you did. It's a lousy way to make employees loyal.

    My company still isn't in the black so no bonuses. I've also been working an average of 11 hours/day for the last month- and this will continue through February. 2 years and no raise yet either.

    When DH started his job 2 years ago, they started him at a super-low rate but promised 20% raises each year for his first 4 years. He's due for his second raise at the end of the year and they announced last week that they are doing away with the program. He also doesn't get bonuses.

    Sometimes companies suck.
    that is super sucky! Boo!
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  • dcbride86 said:
    I'm sorry!  I'm pretty sure I'll never get bonuses, but neither do any other government lawyers, so I never expect it, either.  I remember last year FI got a shockingly small bonus and it REALLY sucked and just drained him.  It's horrible work so hard and feel like you aren't appreciated.
    yeah I think the worst part was that I was expecting the bonus (FINALLY!) and was so excited about it, so it was a huge letdown.
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  • That sucks that you missed it by such little things...to make you feel better:
    I don't get bonuses.
    I'm salaried which means I work 10 hour days, holidays, weekends, and through lunch breaks which equates me to being paid LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE.
    I work every weekend and on major holidays including Christmas day, Thanksgiving, New Years, etc.
    /end rant
    Gross :(
    I had to do that at my customer service job. I worked every single weekend and every single holiday, and usually worked more than 50 hours a week but somehow they had me classified as part time so I didn't get any benefits. And the customers treated me like complete garbage. I only lasted for 8 months at that job.
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  • I definitely can relate to mentally already having something and then finding out you don't. It feels like it was taken away even though it technically wasn't yours in the first place.

    I don't think you're being a baby. I think you're being normal!
  • abl13 said:

    Ugh, sorry! That is really lame. I noticed this year that I didn't get all of the vacation I was supposed to and the reason why is that my boss misread our HR policy when I was hired on. At first I was so pissed but then I asked her if they would make the exception for me and she owned up to her mistake and they gave me my vacation. Maybe try asking?

    And I feel you on the Christmas party. In the past they would rent out a party center during a work day and have (free) festivities for us. Our company is having a record breaking year this year and this year we are having a potluck in the office. They aren't even providing bottled water. I would rather just skip it and leave early.


    ETA: They also close the office between Christmas and New Years and force employees to use vacation time or take it unpaid. I seriously HATE this. My H's company also closes but the days are considered holidays so you don't have to use vacation time. Makes me ragey.

    That is really lame. I would be ragey about it too!! That happened to me as a temp; the company closed for the holidays and since I didn't get vacation time or paid holidays I just didn't get paid. So then I was busting my ass working as much overtime as possible just to be able to cover normal expenses. Ugh. It's so frustrating when companies force employees into situations like that!
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  • What is this bonus that you speak of?
    Haha isn't that the truth! I will never get bonuses. 

    But I would be frustrated if I expected one and didn't get one.

  • When I was at another job, they closed for the winter holidays and all the employees got "paid" for the break, but the company was really swindly about it and would say "well Christmas is a national holiday so we aren't a paying for that, and not for weekends, and you all get two days off a week anyway so out of the two weeks that the company is closed we are really only closed 10 days-4-christmas-new years= we are paying you for three days!
  • I definitely can relate to mentally already having something and then finding out you don't. It feels like it was taken away even though it technically wasn't yours in the first place. I don't think you're being a baby. I think you're being normal!
    Thanks. I'm just so mad but I feel petty for being so mad. I even got snappy with FI since he gets filet mignon for lunch and gets to spend half the day at the movie theater seeing a movie I really wanted to see. I had to immediately apologize for being snappy and I felt like the world's biggest asshole because obviously this is not FI's fault, and he deserves the good things he's getting. I didn't want to put a damper on his fun day with my shitty mood.

    Like I said, though, watching everyone around me get all this stuff that I don't get, while I'm doing the same work, and then expecting the bonus and not getting it, is so. Fucking. Frustrating. And the frustrations have just been piling up for 2 years now.
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  • When I was at another job, they closed for the winter holidays and all the employees got "paid" for the break, but the company was really swindly about it and would say "well Christmas is a national holiday so we aren't a paying for that, and not for weekends, and you all get two days off a week anyway so out of the two weeks that the company is closed we are really only closed 10 days-4-christmas-new years= we are paying you for three days!
    Wow. That fucking sucks. And that is shady!
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  • I don't get a bonus either since I am support staff. Everyone else gets one though. I also didn't get a holiday party. My group does one in NY but that's only for VP and up. Since I am the only one in my office that is below that. I am left out of the holiday party. I need a new job.
  • arrippa said:
    I don't get a bonus either since I am support staff. Everyone else gets one though. I also didn't get a holiday party. My group does one in NY but that's only for VP and up. Since I am the only one in my office that is below that. I am left out of the holiday party. I need a new job.
    Ugh! That's the WORST, is feeling left out! I'm sorry :(
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  • arrippa said:
    I don't get a bonus either since I am support staff. Everyone else gets one though. I also didn't get a holiday party. My group does one in NY but that's only for VP and up. Since I am the only one in my office that is below that. I am left out of the holiday party. I need a new job.
    That sounds truly horrible.  What a nasty way to treat your employees!  Our holiday party was last night and everyone was invited, across the board from attorneys to assistants to practice support.  It's something everybody looks forward to and the partners really make efforts to be inclusive of everyone.
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  • might be worth a quick chat with HR, if nothing else to discuss the vacation time.  When I hired on here I negotiated some extra time than what they offered, but when our PTO reset those extra days were gone bc it wasn't coded in the payroll system correctly so I had to prove my case to get my days back.  Stand up for yourself and what was negotiated when you hired on.

  • If it makes you feel better I haven't had a raise in 4.5 years. And because I had to use all my PTO during my maternity leave, I will not be paid during the holiday shut down. Because our vacation time is time is renewed on our anniversary date, I also lack any PTO until the end of June except for Christmas and NYD as paid holidays. Bonus?? HA! If we are having a Christmas party, I don't know when it is.

    I do understand and support the mandatory vacation time during the shut down. IMO, it's a smart move on the part of companies to do it.
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