That's my thing about the no bonus/no present. MB got a raise and I didn't. OK, I'll get something extra at X-mas. I go for a lower hourly wage per agreement because there are other parts of the job that meet my particular needs. OK, I agreed to that. However, I do an excellent job, really love the baby, never fuss when they're running 15 minutes late. At least a gift card or something would have gone a long way toward making me feel appreciated. It does make me think that there are other options for me. I wouldn't leave the family in the lurch, but if something else presents itself, I would think about giving notice.

Anonymous wrote:For me the no bonus/not even a card is only the icing on the cake. I also work many extra hours and when I ask for extra pay my employer tells me that its just part of me being paid salary. I also do not receive any paid time off and have to scramble to make up hours when I ask for time off for an appointment (which is just not fair that MB can come home late and ask me to work extra yet I have to make up any hours I take off). I love my charges and will continue to do my best and give my all until I can find new employment.

I get this. In this case, a good bonus would have been an acknowledgement that a lot of other aspects of the job are not good.

Did not get a gift/bonus from one family this year (I work multiple PT jobs), but I did just hear from them this morning and it totally made up for it.

Normally I get guaranteed hours but if they don't need me for childcare I might do some housework or a night of babysitting at a later date. I am getting 2 days off next week with pay (after having 2 days this week included in contract of no other work needed to make up hours), and I only have to do one night of babysitting. I was also going to be switching to one day a week starting Jan, but they offered to keep me on for the 2 days a week for the short term (not the rest of the year), and so that will give me a chance to earn more money to save before trying to fill the day with another job. I think I might have something lined up for that day already, but they said they might not need me for another month and so this would be great to have until then. My current family pays great at $20/hr and so I am really happy about this.

My other family I have not yet gotten anything as I will be with them on Christmas, but I will be hurt if they don't get me anything.

For the umpteenth tome: NANNIES ARE HOURLY EMPLOEES AND MUST BE PAID OVERTIME.

For me the no bonus/not even a card is only the icing on the cake. I also work many extra hours and when I ask for extra pay my employer tells me that its just part of me being paid salary. I also do not receive any paid time off and have to scramble to make up hours when I ask for time off for an appointment (which is just not fair that MB can come home late and ask me to work extra yet I have to make up any hours I take off). I love my charges and will continue to do my best and give my all until I can find new employment.

After seeing the disappointed (and in some cases, angry) reactions of people who received small bonuses or no bonuses for Christmas, it got me thinking. Is a lack of a large Christmas bonus a deal breaker? Would you quit over it? Stop giving your all? What if everything else about the job was fine or even good: hours, salary, time off, nice parents/children. Is the lack of a Christmas bonus enough to make you sour on the job?

Would you prefer slightly less pay (say, $.50/hr) or perks (say a couple of fewer paid days off) and then a big bonus? No one owuld be taking it away from you, just that when you were hired, the pay/perks woud be slightly less to make the bonus more possible for the family.