Context – My manager has been working here at this Fortune 500 company for over 20 years. i started Mar 2022 and my 1st time going thru the review process here.
I ask about bonus/when does the bonus come/raise .
When – I was advised the end of Feb and you find out about 2 days before the bonus is given and the same email will have the whether or not you get a raise. She advised she finds out about herself also about 2 days before because it comes from above her.
Raise – I was advised that since she has been working here there have been years she has not gotten a raise hereself. She advised in 2008 recession no one got a raise at all. She advised the company considers your base + bonus generous and you do not always get a raise. (A bonus is not a raise ) She herself knows it is a thing that may or might not happen. She also said if they do give a raise it can be a scenario where someone gets 2% and another one might get 0% under the same manager even if both people had good performance (complete BS).
Bonus – well I might not get the full amount of that neither. The amount I was told in offer letter is a target amount they could choose to only give me 80% of that amount or 0% of that amount. She also explained that in 2008 no one got a bonus. She also explained they used to rank employees so even if all had a good performance review you might not get the same bonus #1 might be at 90% # 2 might be at 80% and it goes down the lower your rank so you could end up with 0% if at bottom even if good review…..so pretty much favoritism . Well they do not do rank anymore, but pretty much she was saying it might not be 100% of my bonus amount and be prepared and it really comes from higher up and she really has little say over it.
She beat me to the punch and said ….”I know you are asking because of inflation and all that so I understand. ” I said “Yeah.” She tried to butter it up talking about beenfits and PTO , but umm I can not pay my bills with that and when I take PTO I can not afford to go on a vacation so umm…and it is not like the benefits are free it takes a good chunk of money from my check.
I guess at least so managed my expecatiaions and was honest so when i find out end of Feb I am not on fire, but I will say after that conversation I was still on fire because you are telling me I might ot be getting 100% of my bonus and I might not get a raise. Also, employers are laying off or not hiring (good paying jobs) like they used to so I might be stuck. Alot of jobs I see do not pay more than what I make now OR require tech or other special skills that have nothing to do with my career experience.
This is a Forune 500 company where the CEO and other senior management make A LOT , but we get scraps oh pardon me MAYBE scraps.