Last week, when I received my paycheck, there was an additional envelope tucked beside it. The guy from the accounting department told me with a straight face it contained a holiday bonus. Naturally, I was thrilled and immediately texted my girlfriend.
Without much consideration, I rushed home, eagerly tore open the envelope, and only glanced at the check's amount, not giving it much thought.
Fast forward to today, a week later, and I'm still waiting for that bonus to appear in my direct deposit. I reached out to the head of our accounting department, only to discover they had no knowledge of any bonus. It turns out, the person distributing the checks had made a “joke,” and the extra envelope contained my previous pay stub.
I guess it kind of is my fault for not thoroughly checking, but it still is an incredibly shitty feeling. I should have known it was too good to be true considering I have been here for two years and we have never received a bonus. Fortunately, I hadn't spent any of the anticipated bonus yet.
Edit: Thank you all so much for your responses. I was not expecting this to gain the traction it did. I decided to take the advice of the accountant in the comments and went into my boss's office at the end of the day yesterday, playing dumb about the situation. It seems he was already aware of the situation from the head of accounting and essentially gave me the same response, even trying to brush it off by saying he jokes around with people. I explained that I failed to see the humor in this, but the confrontation went nowhere.
This morning, when I clocked in, I decided to confront the guy over email so I could have the interaction in writing. I asked him to avoid making remarks or jokes when handing me my checks, explaining that I didn’t realize he was joking about the bonus. I acknowledged my mistake in not checking the envelope more carefully but emphasized that humor about my money isn’t appropriate. I also mentioned that the head of accounting had to clarify the situation in front of everyone, which was embarrassing. I requested that we keep things straightforward when it comes to paychecks.
While I can't afford to just quit on the spot, today marks the beginning of my search for a new job. I will update you all on his response. Thank you all for your support and advice.