A Lump of Coal or a Bonus?
Published December 02, 2003
With the holiday season officially kicked off in the United States, parties and bonuses will be more prevalent than pay raises and gifts at U.S. small businesses in this 2003 season.
According to a survey performed by International Communications Research on behalf of American Express's OPEN Small Business Network, U.S. small businesses plan the following gifts for their employees this holiday season:
- - Year-end bonuses and parties topped the list, with 43% of businesses planning to give bonuses and the same percentage planning to hold holiday parties for employees.
- - Also, 33% are planning to give employees gifts and 18% intend to give raises.
- - And, when you look at businesses with over $200,000 (USD) in annual revenues, the numbers are significantly increased over smaller counterparts when it comes to bonuses (60% vs. 26%), holiday parties (54% vs. 31%), holiday gifts (40% vs. 28%) and pay raises (27% vs. 10%). Not much of surprise there, of course — at under $200,000 (USD) in revenues, there just isn't as much to spread around.
The survey is based on a representative sample of 787 small business owners/managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees across the United States.
And if you need help figuring out what to give and how much for business gifts, you can find interesting and helpful tips and tools for your business gift giving and party planning, at the OPEN Network's Small Business Holiday Center.
P.S.: Visit Small Business Trends, the author's weblog, wherein she gathers large amounts of information on small business trends and shares it with the world, and where this post first appeared.
- A Lump of Coal or a Bonus?
- Published: December 02, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Culture
- Writer: Anita Campbell
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Comments on this articleComments
We're getting a party. I likely will stay at home.
We usually have a party, but this year they decided that the company has grown too much to host the traditional party so instead they'll be doing . . . nothing. I, like you, wouldn't go anyway, not being a corporate-ladder climber anyway . . . But still - it's the thought that counts. Maybe they'll sense the dissatisfaction and cough up a bonus for the holidays. I've never had one of those before. I could sure use it. (I was going to make an obscure Christmas Vacation quote about putting money down on a pool . . . too complicated.)
Tom, as long as they don't get you a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club, you oughta be happy.
Johno, that there's the gift that keeps on giving all year round.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/10608)
Or you can do like my company is doing, which is a huge, very financially successful corporation, and do absolutely nothing for your employees. No party, no bonuses . . . nothing. Morale, needless to say, couldn't be higher . . .