Tacky!

[Night Elf]

Yes, I got a Christmas bonus from work and I'm grateful for it. However, it wasn't nearly as much as we, the management team, expected. However, we are not surprised either. What really got to all of us, all employees, is they gave us the check on the 16th at our Christmas luncheon but it's post dated for the 20th. What's up with that? It's not like we're struggling for money. We've made more in this calendar year than last year and our salaries are much less than that of those under the previous management. We've done extremely well. Why on earth would they date the checks for the 20th? Ugh! Some employees are depending on that bonus to help buy Christmas gifts.

[Night Elf]

36 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I would presume it's just a payroll/accounting thing that really doesn't have anything to do the funding of the check.

And, I would just cash it anyway.  I am pretty sure the date written on the check is actually irrelevant in terms of banks cashing it.  It's not illegal for the bank to cash a check dated 12/20 on 12/18

 

Cool, I'll try it. I do mobile banking so I guess they'll let me know if they can't accept it yet.

[alisoncooks]

But it may be dated that way based on when they make deposits. There's a possibility that check will bounce (and then you'll have to explain why you went against the request). 

(Says the person whose husband works for a non-profit and if they say "don't cash until XX" there's a reason...)

[marbel]

It does seem odd to post-date the check, but I would just wait to deposit it.  The bank doesn't have to honor it, and as Alison says, the money may not be in the account until the 20th. 

[Annie G]

Do you usually get paid on fridays? If so maybe they just wanted bonuses to line up w normal payday schedule. Or simply the Friday before Christmas. 
Holding the check for a few days doesn’t seem like a hardship. Heck, when dh worked he’d learn his bonus number in March and receive it about 5 weeks later.  Some folks never receive a bonus their entire career. 
 

[mom2scouts]

I don't know why you consider it tacky. It was probably most convenient to give out the bonus checks at the luncheon when most employees would be present, but that doesn't mean the money has been deposited into the account to cover all the checks yet. Maybe they just want all the money to come out after a certain date for accounting or business reasons. As someone whose family rarely, if ever, gets bonus checks, I wouldn't complain about having to wait a few days unless you'd prefer they just not bother to give a bonus at all.

My bank will not accept post dated checks, even with online banking, and you may cause a bounced check, so I'd wait to cash it.

[regentrude]

I don't see the problem. So they gave you the checks at an earlier date than the date of the check because it was a convenient occasion to hand it to everybody in person. What's tacky about that? Would it have been better to have everybody come in Friday to pick up their checks?

But then,  I never had a job where there were bonuses, so what do I know.

Edited December 18, 2019 by regentrude

[Carrie12345]

My husband’s company gives out some pretty big bonus checks. Big enough that they can vary by many, many dollars, so it sure would be nice to know ASAP whether they’re on the lower or higher ends.  As nice as that would be, employees are just learning what they will be today, after the totals were decided in the owners’ meeting last week, when they were finally able to measure their profits for the year.  Payroll was entered yesterday. Paychecks get direct deposited Friday.

Most businesses have systems in place for good reasons.

[sweet2ndchance]

Not understanding what is tacky about it either. It's still dated for 5 days before Christmas. Christmas presents can still be bought in time.

But it is probably fair to add that I am one of those people that believes Christmas is not an emergency. It comes the same day every year. You can plan for it, or not, but not planning for it or having an emergency that blows up your Christmas plan does not make Christmas presents an emergency.

I never count on bonuses of any kind. Including tips when I worked jobs where I was allowed to accept tips. It gets put into savings or a little extra in the "fun money" category. Or used to pay off a debt faster. But never ever counted on to pay for something, that practice has never worked out well for me or anyone I know.

[LuvToRead]

I don't get the tackiness either.  There are a multitude of reasons the checks were post dated.  I am wondering if they weren't to be handed until Friday but then someone decided to do it earlier at the party.  It would make no sense at all to print the checks again with the current date.  Plus, I am betting checks are only written certain days of the week, which may make post dating checks common.  (payroll is one reason that comes to mind...the checks are written on a Thursday but not to be dispersed until Friday for example)  I agree with the above poster that bonus checks should never be counted on anyway.  

[May]

I’ve never worked a job where I got a bonus🎄I also would never assume how much money a business makes or doesn’t make unless I’m doing the books. 

[ktgrok]

I do agree it is tacky to hand out checks to employees that they can't actually cash for several days. That's not a done thing, in my experience. I'm sure the idea was they'd be given out on Friday and then someone decided it was easier to hand them out at the party. 

[marbel]

18 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

 

I think though that technically, if a company or a person is writing a check before the money is actually in the account to cover the check, that technically constitutes fraud and actually is illegal.  I mean, I am sure that this is the sort of situation that would be unlikely to garner a fraud charge, but yeah, I am pretty sure it's considered illegal to knowingly write a check when the funds are not available to cover it.  (and that's different than knowing the money is there, but writing a different date for accounting purposes. )  

So basically, if the company is writing post dated checks because they know the money isn't there, they are probably doing something illegal, but if the OP or her co workers are depositing post dated checks, they probably aren't doing anything illegal.  

(I am not however an accounting expert, so obviously, I could be very wrong.)

 

It's not illegal to cash/deposit the check before the date on it, but if it is not honored and the check bounces, the payee may be charged a returned check fee, and if they in turn wrote checks or otherwise used the funds against that check, they could have an overdraft problem of their own.

It's illegal to post date a check for the purpose of fraud but I am pretty sure it's not illegal in other circumstances. I think that if an employee's pay date is 12/20, but for convenience the employer gives them their check on 12/16 though it's dated 12/20, that's not illegal because there is no intent to defraud and the check will be honored on the pay date.

In the OP's situation, it might have helped if the employer had made an announcement stating the reason the checks are postdated and asking people not to deposit them till Friday. It could be a very innocent reason, such as some have suggested - maybe the plan was originally to give them out on Friday. The accounts may be structured such that the funds come from another account and are scheduled to be swept into the checking account the night of 12/19 and it was too late to change that before the party. Could be a stupid reason, could be a good reason. I just wouldn't risk depositing it myself until the date.  And yeah, bonuses should never be counted upon. In a past life I've had a bonus fall through at the last minute due to unforeseen problems in the company. Not fun if someone has already mentally spent the money!

[Tap]

Employers routinely print checks days ahead of the date printed on the check, especially in large companies. Its isn't  illegal for the company to distribute, or person to pickup, a check ahead of time.  The date of the check is the date of the check. Payroll is a specific date in companies, everyone knows that date.  If people plan to use a bonus for presents, that is on them....not the employer!!  It isn't the employers fault that the employee is trying to spend money they haven't earned (or been gifted) yet!  If I was the employer that had people depositing checks early (potentially causing baking issues). I would not give them early next time, and people would just have to pick them up on the date next time.

Sorry, that is not tacky. It is a gift from the employer...They don't have to give it at all.....let alone on a certain date. 

Edited December 19, 2019 by Tap

[Night Elf]

Since I'm on the management team, I have access to the financials of how much we make and comparisons to how much we made this month last year, or even the year to date total. We've made a super big improvement under the new management. I know how much we make each day and am part of putting together the deposits. And some of that information is public because we're a nonprofit. I found the revenue information for 2017 and previous years so I guess 2018 hasn't made it to that site yet.

Payday is Friday. It's probably that simple that they dated the checks to coincide with regular paydays. The checks were extra and the bonuses weren't tied in with the regular weekly check. So not even taxes were taken out of them. They were handed out by a Board Member who signed the checks but I know her well and it's possible she had no idea the date on them wasn't the day of the party. 

For those of us with direct deposit, we get paid on Wednesday and have access to our paycheck information on Friday. For those who get actual checks, they get them on Friday.

[Night Elf]

8 hours ago, Tap said:

Employers routinely print checks days ahead of the date printed on the check, especially in large companies. Its isn't  illegal for the company to distribute, or person to pickup, a check ahead of time.  The date of the check is the date of the check. Payroll is a specific date in companies, everyone knows that date.  If people plan to use a bonus for presents, that is on them....not the employer!!  It isn't the employers fault that the employee is trying to spend money they haven't earned (or been gifted) yet!  If I was the employer that had people depositing checks early (potentially causing baking issues). I would not give them early next time, and people would just have to pick them up on the date next time.

Sorry, that is not tacky. It is a gift from the employer...They don't have to give it at all.....let alone on a certain date. 

It's the principle of the thing. We knew we were getting the bonuses because the Board told my manager. The analogy that comes to my mind is like showing a child a treat, putting it on the table to be stared at every day, but told they can't have it until 5 days from now. That's just unfair. It's not a matter of discipline. It's cruel and sets up a position of not trusting the authority figure. I think they would have done better if they had held onto the checks until Friday. We're all scheduled to be working that day. There are only 5 of us. And if one of us calls out sick, we should be back Monday. No one is taking extra vacation next week besides the hours we are closed.

[Annie G]

1 hour ago, Night Elf said:

The analogy that comes to my mind is like showing a child a treat, putting it on the table to be stared at every day, but told they can't have it until 5 days from now. That's just unfair. It's not a matter of discipline. It's cruel and sets up a position of not trusting the authority figure

Kind of like how we wrap gifts and put them under the tree but tell kids they can’t open them until Christmas?  Pretty sure that doesn’t make kids mistrust authority figures. 

[LuvToRead]

1 hour ago, Night Elf said:

It's the principle of the thing. We knew we were getting the bonuses because the Board told my manager. The analogy that comes to my mind is like showing a child a treat, putting it on the table to be stared at every day, but told they can't have it until 5 days from now. That's just unfair. It's not a matter of discipline. It's cruel and sets up a position of not trusting the authority figure. I think they would have done better if they had held onto the checks until Friday. We're all scheduled to be working that day. There are only 5 of us. And if one of us calls out sick, we should be back Monday. No one is taking extra vacation next week besides the hours we are closed.

Where you actually told not to cash the checks until Friday?   If you weren't told not to, then why assume you weren't to?  

What about if they told  you the checks were printed but employees could pick them up on Friday?  Would you consider that cruel as well?  

I admit I am a bit rankled by your idea that people are cruel to print checks early!   I  have experience with this very thing.  In my experience department heads (or management team or whatever you want to call them) for a non-profit generally notice 2 things....how much money they have in their budget and the overall receipts for the organization.   Most don't notice the new furnace that needs installed, the roof that is leaking, the sidewalks that are falling apart and on and on... Also, the community the non-profit supports also has needs.  So maybe the soup kitchen, the animal shelter, the children's home, or the community at large also has needs.  

Please I am not trying to be hard on  you. I think you are a very sweet and generous person!!   I just know what it's like to be on the other side and it's not always fun and to be called cruel, I think, is a little harsh.

[LuvToRead]

12 minutes ago, Annie G said:

Kind of like how we wrap gifts and put them under the tree but tell kids they can’t open them until Christmas?  Pretty sure that doesn’t make kids mistrust authority figures. 

This!   I am trying to wrap my head around how someone can be cruel by handing out bonuses earlier than expected.  Even if they were told not to cash their checks until Friday, it is no different than being told the bonuses are on their way.

[barnwife]

18 minutes ago, Annie G said:

Kind of like how we wrap gifts and put them under the tree but tell kids they can’t open them until Christmas?  Pretty sure that doesn’t make kids mistrust authority figures. 

You know, if it wasn't for the Internet, I wouldn't know this is a thing. No one I know puts presents under the tree until Christmas (or the night before they celebrate). Clearly, this has nothing to do with OP, or your point, but hearing about it online always stops me in my tracks because it is so foreign to me.

As for the OP, I also can't see how what was done is tacky. I'm sorry it's bothering you, OP.
 

[alisoncooks]

OP - is it possible your disappointment in the *amount* of the check is getting confused or compounded with the issue of it being post-dated?  You've mentioned how well the store is doing multiple times and that you expected a larger bonus -- maybe that's bothering you more than you realize?

[regentrude]

4 hours ago, Night Elf said:

It's the principle of the thing. We knew we were getting the bonuses because the Board told my manager. The analogy that comes to my mind is like showing a child a treat, putting it on the table to be stared at every day, but told they can't have it until 5 days from now. That's just unfair. It's not a matter of discipline. It's cruel and sets up a position of not trusting the authority figure. 

Huh?

You are adults. You have learned delayed gratification. They tell you up front what your paycheck is going to be, but you have to wait until payday to actually get money. This is no different.

Distrusting authority figures would make sense if you were told the bonus is X and then find it is less than X. THAT is unfair. Waiting a few days to cash a check? Neither unfair nor reason to distrust authority.

And saying it would be better if they had not handed you the check until Friday? This is ridiculous. You received the money on exactly the same day. Does having the check for a few days bother you this much?  Brings to mind the 4 y/o who is asked to wait eating the marshmellow...

Edited December 19, 2019 by regentrude

[katilac]

 

2 hours ago, barnwife said:

You know, if it wasn't for the Internet, I wouldn't know this is a thing. No one I know puts presents under the tree until Christmas (or the night before they celebrate). Clearly, this has nothing to do with OP, or your point, but hearing about it online always stops me in my tracks because it is so foreign to me.
 

I was going to say the same thing, never have I ever observed this. Interesting tangent.

[mmasc]

18 minutes ago, katilac said:

 

I was going to say the same thing, never have I ever observed this. Interesting tangent.

I find these things interesting too. I’ve never heard of just putting them out on Christmas! I put them under the tree as I wrap them. Maybe one or two on Monday, three or four on Wednesday...just whatever/whenever!

[alisoncooks]

2 minutes ago, mmasc said:

I find these things interesting too. I’ve never heard of just putting them out on Christmas! I put them under the tree as I wrap them. Maybe one or two on Monday, three or four on Wednesday...just whatever/whenever!

Same here. (Except presents from Santa -- they go out late Christmas Eve... and they may or may not be wrapped.)

[hippiemamato3]

Night Elf, I'm asking this with truly gentle intentions - is it possible holiday stress is making you feel a bit hypomanic? Sometimes when my son is hypomanic, things irritate him more than they normally would. You've posted a lot lately, so I just wondered. Holiday stress can bring out some difficult emotions sometimes. I am thinking of you and hope that you feel better about your job situation soon. Hugs. 

[Catwoman]

7 hours ago, Night Elf said:

It's the principle of the thing. We knew we were getting the bonuses because the Board told my manager. The analogy that comes to my mind is like showing a child a treat, putting it on the table to be stared at every day, but told they can't have it until 5 days from now. That's just unfair. It's not a matter of discipline. It's cruel and sets up a position of not trusting the authority figure. I think they would have done better if they had held onto the checks until Friday. We're all scheduled to be working that day. There are only 5 of us. And if one of us calls out sick, we should be back Monday. No one is taking extra vacation next week besides the hours we are closed.

 

Holy sense of entitlement, Batman!

So let me get this straight...

Your employer gave you FREE MONEY as a BONUS and you think it’s “cruel” that the check was dated a few days later, on your normal payday? Oh, and the bonus should have been more money, too, because the store had a good year this year.

Wow.

All I can tell you is that if I found out that one of our employees had that kind of entitled attitude toward her holiday bonus, I would be sure not to subject her to the same level of angst and disappointment next year, and would be sure not to give her any bonus at all. Because seriously, it’s FREE MONEY and the company doesn’t have to give out any bonuses at all. 

I’m really shocked at your posts in this thread, Beth. I can’t understand why you would be so upset over this, because in the end, your company showed their appreciation for all of your hard work this year by giving you a holiday party and a nice bonus. They didn’t have to do either one of those things, yet you are calling them “cruel” and “unfair” and saying you are “being put in the position of distrusting the authority figure.”  Ummm.... I could understand distrusting them if the check bounced and they refused to replace it, or if they’d promised a bonus all year and then never gave you anything, but a postdated check is enough to make you distrust them? Really???

 I’m sorry if I sound mean, but maybe it’s because I can see this from the employer’s point of view, and I can see that they were trying to do a nice thing by giving you a bonus, and I’m sure it never occurred to them that the date on the check would be enough to make you consider them cruel and unfair, and to even go so far as to say you now distrust them. It seems like such a massive overreaction to me, and I can’t relate to your attitude at all.

Edited December 19, 2019 by Catwoman

[Dainty]

You and your coworkers really need to check yourselves.  

A holiday party is a nice time to give the bonus.  Everyone is there.  That doesn't mean there aren't certain accounting issues that have to be dealt with.  It's silly to say people are counting on that money for Christmas gifts.  It was 4 days in advance, lol?  The check is in hand and it's known how much it's for.  Sorry you have to do some planning with your Christmas BONUS and can't go spend it asap.  Man, that's rough.  My goodness, not like it means Christmas will be canceled.  If I was that company, guess I'd do nothing next year for my entitled, ungrateful employees.  Sounds like they will be complaining, regardless.  

[Arctic Bunny]

What’s a Christmas bonus?

 

😂🤣😂

[Arcadia]

23 hours ago, May said:

I’ve never worked a job where I got a bonus🎄I also would never assume how much money a business makes or doesn’t make unless I’m doing the books. 

 

9 hours ago, Night Elf said:

Since I'm on the management team, I have access to the financials of how much we make and comparisons to how much we made this month last year, or even the year to date total. We've made a super big improvement under the new management. I know how much we make each day and am part of putting together the deposits. And some of that information is public because we're a nonprofit. I found the revenue information for 2017 and previous years so I guess 2018 hasn't made it to that site yet.

 

7 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

OP - is it possible your disappointment in the *amount* of the check is getting confused or compounded with the issue of it being post-dated?  You've mentioned how well the store is doing multiple times and that you expected a larger bonus -- maybe that's bothering you more than you realize?

I worked the books for my department when I was working. There was performance bonuses (department and personal) and commissions. The sales engineers had commission and department performance bonus. The non-sales staff had performance bonuses. 

What I understand from the first post is that OP is getting a bonus. It’s not a commission. Her employer does not need to give a bigger bonus because the profits are higher.

Post dated checks aren’t that weird. My ex-bosses would give me the HR letter stating how much performance bonus I would be getting, signed by my boss and the financial controller, but the money itself gets directly deposited into my bank account at my next payday. 

[Arcadia]

32 minutes ago, arctic_bunny said:

What’s a Christmas bonus?

 

😂🤣😂

Year end bonus 😂

7 hours ago, barnwife said:

You know, if it wasn't for the Internet, I wouldn't know this is a thing. No one I know puts presents under the tree until Christmas (or the night before they celebrate). Clearly, this has nothing to do with OP, or your point, but hearing about it online always stops me in my tracks because it is so foreign to me.

My Christian relatives would send gifts and those get put under the Christmas tree. My cousin had a very playful Maltese and we had to put gifts on top of wardrobes at her home until Christmas.