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25 work anniversary gift is not the same as other colleague even though we have a HR long service

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hi all,  I work for a fairly large global company,  around 4000 employees and what should be a time for celebration (i've work for the same company for 25 yrs) the company provide a dinner and a a watch which is engraved.   I was talking to another colleague who also got his 25 yrs 2 years ago and he he was showing me the watch, and then said whats also nice is they surprise you with you a months gross salary tax free and he was showed me the letter from HR.

Fast forward two years and i have quite a good relationship with another director and he mentioned for me to choose a restaurant so he can book it, and we were talking about holidays this year and i said half jokingly that the money will be handy to pay off the family holiday.  He kind of looked at me and said what money you only get a watch,  i told him what i had seen and he said that's not possible because that's not the HR policy,   i told him i had seen the letter and he checked with the other director on teams, the director said no the other employee was not given any money.   the letter actually stated 'long service award 25 yrs'    my manager said let me check with the HR team, because its all tracked and there never is any payments for long service just the watch.    I still think my manager is telling the truth and he wasn't aware but we have had issues in the past where the company advises the employees that polices are fair and transparent yet it seems one director and team can do something completely different.   
I actually spoke to the colleague last week again thinking maybe my mind had gone mad and he said he confirmed again about the payment.   

Waiting for my manager to speak to HR as he said it is all in the system and we can't just give some people money and other not,  he said himself he's just completed 40yrs and received no payment from the company for that.  if we have a HR policy can director do something extra.   

thanks
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Comments

  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 18,248 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    pete1975 said:
    hi all,  I work for a fairly large global company,  around 4000 employees and what should be a time for celebration (i've work for the same company for 25 yrs) the company provide a dinner and a a watch which is engraved.   I was talking to another colleague who also got his 25 yrs 2 years ago and he he was showing me the watch, and then said whats also nice is they surprise you with you a months gross salary tax free and he was showed me the letter from HR.

    Fast forward two years and i have quite a good relationship with another director and he mentioned for me to choose a restaurant so he can book it, and we were talking about holidays this year and i said half jokingly that the money will be handy to pay off the family holiday.  He kind of looked at me and said what money you only get a watch,  i told him what i had seen and he said that's not possible because that's not the HR policy,   i told him i had seen the letter and he checked with the other director on teams, the director said no the other employee was not given any money.   the letter actually stated 'long service award 25 yrs'    my manager said let me check with the HR team, because its all tracked and there never is any payments for long service just the watch.    I still think my manager is telling the truth and he wasn't aware but we have had issues in the past where the company advises the employees that polices are fair and transparent yet it seems one director and team can do something completely different.   
    I actually spoke to the colleague last week again thinking maybe my mind had gone mad and he said he confirmed again about the payment.   

    Waiting for my manager to speak to HR as he said it is all in the system and we can't just give some people money and other not,  he said himself he's just completed 40yrs and received no payment from the company for that.  if we have a HR policy can director do something extra.   

    thanks
    The celebratory meal and watch are (or were) quite common for long service awards.  I say "(or were)" because many companies have cut right back on anything of this nature. Awards have to be "de minimus" in nature to avoid tax complications, and that is made more difficult as tax rules now cap "de minimus" gifts at a very low threshold.

    Anyway, the payment of one months gross salary tax free is really quite difficult for an employer to do as there is no mechanism for the employer to make such a large payment outside of taxation.  To pay one month after tax means the employee has to be paid somewhere between 1.5 and 2 months gross.
  • MeteredOut
    MeteredOut Posts: 3,049 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    What does your contract say re. 25 year award? In reality, that's all you should care about (but we're all human and FOMO is real).
  • Marcon
    Marcon Posts: 14,393 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    pete1975 said:
    hi all,  I work for a fairly large global company,  around 4000 employees and what should be a time for celebration (i've work for the same company for 25 yrs) the company provide a dinner and a a watch which is engraved.   I was talking to another colleague who also got his 25 yrs 2 years ago and he he was showing me the watch, and then said whats also nice is they surprise you with you a months gross salary tax free and he was showed me the letter from HR.

    Fast forward two years and i have quite a good relationship with another director and he mentioned for me to choose a restaurant so he can book it, and we were talking about holidays this year and i said half jokingly that the money will be handy to pay off the family holiday.  He kind of looked at me and said what money you only get a watch,  i told him what i had seen and he said that's not possible because that's not the HR policy,   i told him i had seen the letter and he checked with the other director on teams, the director said no the other employee was not given any money.   the letter actually stated 'long service award 25 yrs'    my manager said let me check with the HR team, because its all tracked and there never is any payments for long service just the watch.    I still think my manager is telling the truth and he wasn't aware but we have had issues in the past where the company advises the employees that polices are fair and transparent yet it seems one director and team can do something completely different.   
    I actually spoke to the colleague last week again thinking maybe my mind had gone mad and he said he confirmed again about the payment.   

    Waiting for my manager to speak to HR as he said it is all in the system and we can't just give some people money and other not,  he said himself he's just completed 40yrs and received no payment from the company for that.  if we have a HR policy can director do something extra.   

    thanks
    I understand the disappointment, but what's your question? Nothing to stop an employer treating employees differently.
    Googling on your question might have been both quicker and easier, if you're only after simple facts rather than opinions!  
  • mr_stripey
    mr_stripey Posts: 941 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    "expecting" a bonus that is discretionary is probably a bad move - especially to do it openly to your employer. 

    Maybe they no longer make such payments, nor are they obligated to (unless it says so in your contract).

    I would have at the very least waited until the meal/watch/anniversary before broaching it at work.


  • Hoenir
    Hoenir Posts: 7,742 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    A lot can change in 2 years. 
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 17,986 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper PPI Party Pooper
    Policy within companies changes.  What happened 2 years ago, or yesterday, has no bearing on what they do today.  Unless it's in your contract you have no entitlement to anything.  One place I worked had historically given 5, 10 and 25 year awards.  Over time that changed to 10 and 25 and eventually to 25 year only.
  • Flugelhorn
    Flugelhorn Posts: 7,307 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper


    Anyway, the payment of one months gross salary tax free is really quite difficult for an employer to do as there is no mechanism for the employer to make such a large payment outside of taxation.  To pay one month after tax means the employee has to be paid somewhere between 1.5 and 2 months gross.
    agree - we got a £1k pro rata Xmas bonus one year - tax free. Looked like incredibly complex (to me anyway) calculations went on to ensure you really did get your money. Seem to remember mine was about £400 but they had to give me £800 to make it work.  Good bonus though as all  got the same rate and it meant much more to those FT employees on NMW
  • LinLui
    LinLui Posts: 570 Forumite
    500 Posts Name Dropper
    They aren't required to give you anything. But if they do choose to give people something, they can do whatever they want unless the reason for treating one person differently is based on a protected characteristic. 
  • pete1975
    pete1975 Posts: 165 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    thanks all,  its a ongoing debate in the office as quite a few people are due a 25yr anniversary in the next couple of years.  HR policy is watch and a meal as someone within the office just checked the policy and its still the same.   It was more if we have a policy how can it be that others are treated differently,  I know my manager isn't happy because he said I have been told that's the benefits, and he said i f i knew i could do that i would have done, or at least for some people i would have done.  He said when he asked the other manager they said no it was never done, so he's concerned that others things have happened that's he's not aware of 
  • pete1975
    pete1975 Posts: 165 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Marcon said:
    pete1975 said:
    hi all,  I work for a fairly large global company,  around 4000 employees and what should be a time for celebration (i've work for the same company for 25 yrs) the company provide a dinner and a a watch which is engraved.   I was talking to another colleague who also got his 25 yrs 2 years ago and he he was showing me the watch, and then said whats also nice is they surprise you with you a months gross salary tax free and he was showed me the letter from HR.

    Fast forward two years and i have quite a good relationship with another director and he mentioned for me to choose a restaurant so he can book it, and we were talking about holidays this year and i said half jokingly that the money will be handy to pay off the family holiday.  He kind of looked at me and said what money you only get a watch,  i told him what i had seen and he said that's not possible because that's not the HR policy,   i told him i had seen the letter and he checked with the other director on teams, the director said no the other employee was not given any money.   the letter actually stated 'long service award 25 yrs'    my manager said let me check with the HR team, because its all tracked and there never is any payments for long service just the watch.    I still think my manager is telling the truth and he wasn't aware but we have had issues in the past where the company advises the employees that polices are fair and transparent yet it seems one director and team can do something completely different.   
    I actually spoke to the colleague last week again thinking maybe my mind had gone mad and he said he confirmed again about the payment.   

    Waiting for my manager to speak to HR as he said it is all in the system and we can't just give some people money and other not,  he said himself he's just completed 40yrs and received no payment from the company for that.  if we have a HR policy can director do something extra.   

    thanks
    I understand the disappointment, but what's your question? Nothing to stop an employer treating employees differently.
    I guess it was that,  you can be treated differently even though there is a policy in place as long as thats followed then everything else is just that a bonus to that individual,  as one of other colleagues has said, so far it seems its just one manager has been giving his team the payments as the other managers were following the policy .
    Disappointed I am, but if the the company can do it, or individual managers then i guess i will just have to live with it and wish i had that manager lol
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