By Elizabeth M. Miller bio
Do you know the Christmas movie classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold, a corporate grunt who is so sure he will get a Christmas bonus that he puts down a non-refundable deposit on an in-ground swimming pool for his family.
However, Griswold discovers on Christmas Eve—when his bonus arrives a few days later than usual—that instead of giving him money, his employer has enrolled him in the Jelly-of-the-Month Club. That’s quite the letdown and Griswold lets his disappointment be known in no uncertain terms.
Don’t ruin your employees’ holidays
The economy has affected law firms large and small, and many can no longer afford to reach into the coffers and give bonuses that are not tied to some kind of performance review. Yet there is often an expectation and sometimes apprehension by the employee wondering if and when they will receive a bonus from the firm.
As Griswold points out in the movie, some employees depend on this annual bonus. However, unless a year-end or holiday bonus is negotiated or offered as part of the compensation package, bonuses are discretionary. There is no obligation by the firm, nor should there be any expectation by an employee, to give or receive a bonus. When bonuses are discussed at a job interview, I always make sure to tell the applicant that bonuses are discretionary and predicated upon how well the firm did. In other words, it’s up to the firm if the employee gets a bonus or not.
Alternatives to the annual bonus
If your firm is unable to offer bonuses to your employees this year, don’t just be a Scrooge and ignore the holiday season or the contributions that your employees have made to the success of your law firm. Unless the firm is dead broke, you can usually afford to do something.
Show your employees that their work is appreciated and let them know that in lieu of bonuses, the firm will:
- Give a gift card. This can be especially thoughtful if you give a card to a store or a website that you know your employee frequents or one that can be used anywhere that is the equivalent of cash.
- Give a week’s salary. Even if the budget is tight, a week’s salary for each employee is something you can make part of your annual budget, avoiding the last minute scramble to come up with a week’s salary for each employee.
- Spare a few hours. Have a holiday lunch and then give employees the rest of the day off to finish their shopping and other holiday preparations. Things get so hectic at this time of the year everyone will appreciate a few extra hours to get things done.
- Close the firm for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Unless there is an emergency, things have usually slowed down by the Dec. 22 or 23, as your clients are focused on their own families. You can either arrange for a skeleton crew of one or two on a rotating basis during the holiday, or forward the phones and have someone check emails.
Conclusion
If your firm does distribute any kind of cash or pay-for-performance bonus, try to distribute it early. Your staff may be waiting for their bonus (and hoping that they will get one) before doing their Christmas shopping, so if possible distribute it a week before Dec. 25. Your employees will appreciate it.
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