Bonus Woes
Posted on | October 5, 2006 | No Comments
Well, it seems pretty official (though with out direct confirmation) that the bonus at my company will not be paid out again this year.
First, just a little background. In Japan, bonuses are extremely commonplace. Virtually every company pays out twice a year and the total is, on average, about 3 or 4 months worth of salary. Most people come to depend on these bonuses as part of their yearly salary. My company states in its contract that it will only pay out once a year, and has typically been attached to the September paycheck. Last year the bonus was not paid out and the result was about 1/3 to 1/2 of the workforce (of about 20 people) quitting in the subsequent 6 months. Over that period it seemed that virtually every Friday there was a soubetsukai (party for somebody who is leaving). I can only assume that the same sort of thing will happen this year.
I have become friendly with many people around the office and it will be sad to see them go. In addition, the only part about the whole situation is the silence. I have to accept that if there is no money to pay out the bonus, the money isn’t there (despite however much this may be a symptom of a much larger problem). The part of all this that has gotten under my skin is the fact that it was silently not paid out. In my mind, the very least that could be done is some sort of announcement or apology. I think that people deserve to know the status their salary.
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