Work Bonus

[Velky]

This may be a hard question to answer, so ball parks will suffice.

I've been at my job now for going on 3 years, I work as a CAD drafter for an oil and gas company in Alberta. Over the course of my job I've started to take on new responsibilities and gotten lots of "Great work!" emails for the work I do.

One of the benefits that was mentioned when I first started was the opportunity to receive bonuses. Now after my first year I didn't get a bonus, which I wasn't expecting anyways.

Since then I still have yet to receive a bonus. Now I'm only going off feedback from my boss/project manager and the extra responsibilities I've been handed, but I think I'm doing a good job. I've also kept in mind that the recent prices of oil doesn't help my cause, and we've been lucky enough not to have to lay many people off. Work hours have however been reduced a bit for the past few months.

So what I'm wondering is - as this is my first "real" job/career and I've never received a bonus before - what is a reasonable bonus to expect? Does it go based off your yearly income, or is it purely performance based? I make just shy of $35,000 a year.

[Deleted]

5%

/10char

[Reeve]

This may be a hard question to answer, so ball parks will suffice.

I've been at my job now for going on 3 years, I work as a CAD drafter for an oil and gas company in Alberta. Over the course of my job I've started to take on new responsibilities and gotten lots of "Great work!" emails for the work I do.

One of the benefits that was mentioned when I first started was the opportunity to receive bonuses. Now after my first year I didn't get a bonus, which I wasn't expecting anyways.

Since then I still have yet to receive a bonus. Now I'm only going off feedback from my boss/project manager and the extra responsibilities I've been handed, but I think I'm doing a good job. I've also kept in mind that the recent prices of oil doesn't help my cause, and we've been lucky enough not to have to lay many people off. Work hours have however been reduced a bit for the past few months.

So what I'm wondering is - as this is my first "real" job/career and I've never received a bonus before - what is a reasonable bonus to expect? Does it go based off your yearly income, or is it purely performance based? I make just shy of $35,000 a year.

Usually it's a combination of your performance and your base salary that affect bonuses, but it can also be based on the performance of your business unit.

Either way, with the oil price the way it is right now, I wouldn't be upset if you don't see a bonus for a while. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you should count yourself lucky you aren't laid off.

Everyone in my company (also oil and gas) is taking a pay cut this year, and that's aside from the 57% of our corporate personnel we've laid off and closer to 80% of our field personnel.

[I Push Buttons]

This may be a hard question to answer, so ball parks will suffice.

I've been at my job now for going on 3 years, I work as a CAD drafter for an oil and gas company in Alberta. Over the course of my job I've started to take on new responsibilities and gotten lots of "Great work!" emails for the work I do.

One of the benefits that was mentioned when I first started was the opportunity to receive bonuses. Now after my first year I didn't get a bonus, which I wasn't expecting anyways.

Since then I still have yet to receive a bonus. Now I'm only going off feedback from my boss/project manager and the extra responsibilities I've been handed, but I think I'm doing a good job. I've also kept in mind that the recent prices of oil doesn't help my cause, and we've been lucky enough not to have to lay many people off. Work hours have however been reduced a bit for the past few months.

So what I'm wondering is - as this is my first "real" job/career and I've never received a bonus before - what is a reasonable bonus to expect? Does it go based off your yearly income, or is it purely performance based? I make just shy of $35,000 a year.

A reasonable bonus to expect is to not be fired. The oil and gas industry is a mess right now.

[nemex]

5-8% is a normal yearly bonus from my experience, which is performance-based for both individual and department.

[Mormolyce]

If you haven't received a bonus, consider moving on. If you haven't received a bonus or promotion or a cost of living increase, definitely move on.

That's how it works in my industry, which is why people are rarely in a role more than 3-4 years. Look around and see how much more you can be earning now with 3 years of proven experience. Remember, your work may not keep up with inflation but the market does.

[Fencers]

Depends, but 3-5% is most common in my experience.

[I Push Buttons]

If you haven't received a bonus, consider moving on. If you haven't received a bonus or promotion or a cost of living increase, definitely move on.

That's how it works in my industry, which is why people are rarely in a role more than 3-4 years. Look around and see how much more you can be earning now with 3 years of proven experience. Remember, your work may not keep up with inflation but the market does.

Yeah the oil industry is hiring in droves right now.......

Oh wait.

[Mormolyce]

Yeah the oil industry is hiring in droves right now.......

Oh wait.

If that's true, consider another industry.

[kail]

A small percentage on most industries that deal with bonuses. Unless you work on commission, that tends to be your bonus.

[Velky]

Usually it's a combination of your performance and your base salary that affect bonuses, but it can also be based on the performance of your business unit.

Either way, with the oil price the way it is right now, I wouldn't be upset if you don't see a bonus for a while. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you should count yourself lucky you aren't laid off.

Everyone in my company (also oil and gas) is taking a pay cut this year, and that's aside from the 57% of our corporate personnel we've laid off and closer to 80% of our field personnel.

I'm not expecting one right now, but once the prices do stabilize and work picks up I wont be afraid to ask about it and a raise (going on 2 years without a raise).

I'm going to be patient with all this, as my boss is 1 of a kind and I will never find a company who is as flexible as these guys.

Certain people in my company have taken pay cuts, but only those over a specific salary. We are also a small company, probably ~80 in total.

[thegreatorny]

Depends on the job, store managers at walmart can receive a 150% of salary in a bonus if the stores' inventory does well. look it up.

[glo]

I mean... I'd be more concerned about how underpaid you are for your skillset. Costco cashiers (grocery store) get paid around $32k a year on average.

[Theinquisition]

This may be a hard question to answer, so ball parks will suffice.

I've been at my job now for going on 3 years, I work as a CAD drafter for an oil and gas company in Alberta. Over the course of my job I've started to take on new responsibilities and gotten lots of "Great work!" emails for the work I do.

One of the benefits that was mentioned when I first started was the opportunity to receive bonuses. Now after my first year I didn't get a bonus, which I wasn't expecting anyways.

Since then I still have yet to receive a bonus. Now I'm only going off feedback from my boss/project manager and the extra responsibilities I've been handed, but I think I'm doing a good job. I've also kept in mind that the recent prices of oil doesn't help my cause, and we've been lucky enough not to have to lay many people off. Work hours have however been reduced a bit for the past few months.

So what I'm wondering is - as this is my first "real" job/career and I've never received a bonus before - what is a reasonable bonus to expect? Does it go based off your yearly income, or is it purely performance based? I make just shy of $35,000 a year.

I imagine each company has different standards.

Mine uses two criteria

A. How you performed

B. How the company is doing as a whole.

If I were you id contact the HR department and ask for the bonus criteria.

[minteK917]

You are in Canada, often the Union will have negociated how the bonuses work, sometime outright removing it in favor of better insurance and such. If you are part of an union ask them first, then if they tell you its not regular go to the bosses, just be tackful about it? Many places in Canada spread bonus only based on company performance and split it evenly across everyone that is not management as per union requests.

[Khaza-R]

Depends.

My current employer gives us a yearly bonus based off the companies profit (multiplier) and a percentage of your salary. Mine is about 7% of my salary, which is probably higher than most.

Then we also have individual performance bonuses as well. These are issued if you reach a certain criteria when your review with management comes up. This is just a flat rate and not related to your salary. This usually much smaller number as well.

Hope that helps.

[Sunseeker]

I have always been told "you'll get a bonus!" by every damn job I ever held. Even the crappy retail ones offered bonuses when sales were high, said bonuses never materailized. The job I am at now is the first job that has ever made good on their promise of quarterly 5% of net collections (i do debt collections, eat me) bonus. Guess what? I got my quarterly bonuses right on schedule!

It really comes down to two things:
One, obviously, is performance. Most bonuses have a "performance" clause where if you don't do well, you don't get a bonus. The problem is that many of these "performance" clauses are not left up to any statistical facts. They're left up to your superior's whimsy. Unfortunately asking for what they promised is a sure-fire way to get fired.
Two: Honesty. A company that promises bonuses and doesn't deliver is unlikely to ever do so. I'd start looking for a new job, bring up the whole "bonuses" issue in your second interview and then turn around and tell your current boss you're leaving unless he forks over a better deal. You'll either end up with A: a new job, or B: a better job and your boss being left with the impression that you're not here to be dicked around.

Otherwise, you're SOL.

[Thetruth1400]

I mean... I'd be more concerned about how underpaid you are for your skillset. Costco cashiers (grocery store) get paid around $32k a year on average.

Cosco is far and away an exception, nowhere near the general rule, and even then you're still extremely far off. Their lowest level people make $11.50 an hour. That means a full time employee at the bottom rung makes $23,920 a year. Their company average is $21 an hour, so even that comes out to $43,680. A person working full time at the current minimum wage, which is the majority of people, is only going to bring home $15,080 a year before taxes.

Sadly, for the OP, he's in a really rough industry and lucky to have a job, let alone be seeking a bonus. Typically though, bonuses vary from company to company from a simple one extra paycheck to a percentage based system of 3-8%. Even those vary depending on sometimes personal performance and sometimes the company as a whole. Also varying depending on the position at hand.

So really, the best bet is to hit up google, type in your job description and place of employment and see if there are any people from the company in your position that have gotten bonuses, and compare to that.

[Reeve]

I'm not expecting one right now, but once the prices do stabilize and work picks up I wont be afraid to ask about it and a raise (going on 2 years without a raise).

I'm going to be patient with all this, as my boss is 1 of a kind and I will never find a company who is as flexible as these guys.

Certain people in my company have taken pay cuts, but only those over a specific salary. We are also a small company, probably ~80 in total.

You should ask once business picks up. People who ask are the ones who get the raises. Just don't make demands when the time is clearly wrong unless you're holding all the cards.

[belfpala]

So really, the best bet is to hit up google, type in your job description and place of employment and see if there are any people from the company in your position that have gotten bonuses, and compare to that.

Or jump ship.