Dodgy payment

smirnoff1986

Hello everyone, not sure if this is the right place for this post but here goes. I usually receive about £1500 yearly bonus off the company I work for paid in April's pay. This last December we received a £850 "cost of living payment" on our payslip and of course everyone was chuffed to bits! But now we've just been informed that our bonus is down at £650 this year because we've already had £850.

We aren't sure if the company are being a bit sly somehow? As they didn't tell us it was going to be from our bonus. Any ideas or are we looking into it too much, thanks in advance. 

Bobbobbobingalong

What does your contract say, is, for example, the £1500 guaranteed? If it isn't, it is simply discretionary and the employer is entitled to pay some of it or all of it, when and if they choose or not at all.

smirnoff1986

Thanks for the reply, the bonus is discretionary so guess they can do what they want.
We're just always expecting the worse of them! 

TELLIT01

The way the payment was made may be considered a bit sneaky but there's nothing you can do about it.  As Bob........ says, bonus payments are generally discretionary.  It looks like you probably should be thankful you actually got the rest. :-)

smirnoff1986

Yeah I'm always pleased to get any bonus, just know a lot of the older lads usually put the bonus in their pension but the way this was given they didn't get the chance so think that's their big issue. 

Marcon

smirnoff1986 said:

Yeah I'm always pleased to get any bonus, just know a lot of the older lads usually put the bonus in their pension but the way this was given they didn't get the chance so think that's their big issue. 

Anything to stop them making a pension contribution now, at least for the 'balance' of £650 that you are receiving as a bonus?

ACG

I suppose the employer should have said its early payment of part of your bonus to help. That way you could have decided what to do with it. It would have at least been seen as a nice gesture where as now it is seen as a bit of a poor move. 

But there is nothing legally wrong with it and there is nothing you can do if not guaranteed. 

I suppose just be thankful you are still getting a bonus. A lot of companies are starting to struggle now witht he cost of their energy bills going up this month.