IT’S LIKE TIPPING YOUR WAITER TWO CENTS, or Merry Fucking Christmas to You.     My Christmas bonus this year was less than last year’s by 1/6th.  Not too terrible.  I did wonder if my annual review had anything to do with it being less.  My boss did give over with the usual talk about “rough year” “everything is down” and all.  You know what?  I’m okay with it.  It would have been nice to get a bonus that was the same or more, but I’m not in the finance industry any more so you get what you get.  Besides, I’ve always thought of the bonus as just that - a bonus.  You get what you get and say thank you.  If it’s a nickel or a million.  (Trust me, I’d much prefer the million).  But you don’t count on a bonus.  That’s how I was raised - you live within your means and a bonus is something you save or splurge just a bit.  On the other hand, my two bosses gave me a gift card yesterday for $500 which is not bad.  I’m going to go to buy a TV today - if it’s still on sale - and it will come up to $475 so flat screen TV here I come!  So this year’s bonus being smaller than last year’s didn’t really bother me.

Well, turns out … I was speaking with one of my colleagues on Tuesday; she’s been with the company 6 years; her bonus this year was the same as it was her first year with the company.  Now I have no idea what that number was, but that’s a big big letdown. 

Worse.  I got a call from one of my other colleagues.  She got her “bonus” yesterday and was so angry and upset - and I don’t blame her.  I don’t know what the figure was but as she put it, it was less than the amount she gave the doorman at her building.  She’s good at her job and she’s worked very hard but the company and she haven’t clicked and they really screwed her over with the bonus.  That’s low.  If she’d gotten no bonus she’d have been less unhappy.  I really feel for her.  I know how it is to go to a job you hate and be miserable.  She’s really thinking of leaving and ordinarily I’d say stick it out while you job hunt.  But you know what, fuck it!  I know the economy is beyond pathetic. (Thank you, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and the rest of the Fucking Republicans!). Life’s too short to be that miserable.  I told her that if she goes, just leave me directions about the bits I’ll inherit.  Fuck the rest.