The Holidays are expensive. Between gift buying, travel expenses, and other end of the year costs, you can end up ringing in the New Year with a depleted savings account. But if you play your cards right, you may be able to offset some of that spending — and start the new year in a better financial position — thanks to an end of the year bonus.
According to a survey from Accounting Principals, a year end bonus is actually a possibility for many Americans. The survey found that in 2015, 67% of companies had plans to give holiday bonuses to employees, with an average bonus of $858. But while these are encouraging odds, how can you ensure that your boss recognizes your hard work and rewards it?
Start by checking out these tips to help make sure you get the year end bonus you deserve!
Keep Track of Your Successes
When it comes to any discussion of raises or bonuses, its important to have plenty of evidence of your value to the company. That way, when your boss asks why, specifically, you think you deserve a holiday bonus, you can present her with facts to support your proposition. Whenever you can, try to include numerical evidence to quantify your argument.
Be Willing to Volunteer for Extra Work
When the time comes for Holiday bonuses to be doled out, you want your boss to remember you as a team player, eager to do whatever needs to be done to ensure the success of the company. That means being the first one to volunteer to pick up any slack, cover any unexpected work, and assist the team at every given opportunity. According to Kim Gottschalk, Senior Regional Vice President at Accounting Principals, "Most companies are willing to reward their hardworking staff during the holidays as a way to thank them for their efforts throughout the year. Prove that you are a valuable employee that deserves a little extra recognition!"
Know How Your Company Handles Holiday Bonuses
Not every company even gives out Holiday bonuses, and those that do tend to have a variety of ways of going about it. Make sure you know your companies policy, and what exactly the bonuses are based on. Do the employees with the best numbers get the bonuses? Or is it up to the boss to decide who deserves a bonus? Priya Malani, an entrepreneur and partner at Stash Wealth, told Bustle that, "It's your responsibility to know the competitive range for bonuses for your position within your industry — so do the research, or ask around. Be clear with your boss about your expectations and then, when the time is right, ask your boss if the company is looking to be on track for bonus season."
Ask Directly
Laura C. Browne, co-author of Raise Rules for Women: How To Make More Money At Work says, "This may sound obvious but most people won't do it. Ask your boss, 'What can I do to help you so I can get a bonus this year?'" While this may sound intimidating, your boss will probably appreciate your initiative, and it ensures that they're aware that you'd like to be considered for a bonus, making it more likely that they take notice of your hard work. However, it's important not to present the idea as a demand, but to instead phrase it as a question of how you can further help the company, and in doing so earn the bonus.
A Holiday bonus can be a huge help that positively affects your life all year long, so it's important to do everything you can now to ensure all the hard work you've done in the past year is rewarded!
