Should This Bonus Been Offered

[BigRooster]

This month work colleagues of mine were given a bonus of £20,000 over for years . The company was taken over and the old owner gave everyone who started before 2001 this parting gift.
My colleagues and I aren’t happy as this was offered in an underhanded way .
Each person was given a letter stating it was a loyalty bonus and not to disclose it with anyone.
We only found out because one guy can’t read and gave it to someone who wasn’t getting the bonus to read it .
I’ve been with the company 15 years I do over 60 hrs a week all weathers and no pay rise in last 6 years it’s a long shot but is this bonus legal in the way it was offered .
Your thoughts please

[woofgang]

yes completely legal and not unusual.

[andy-hughes]

It would appear so.

A company is not honour bound to offer anyone a bonus, or to offer a bonus to every employee.

It seems the bonus was decided with a cut-off point in terms of length of employment, and you, and I am sure many others, did not make the cut.

I understand why you feel aggrieved, but I suggest that no law has been broken here.

[THECORBYLOON]

What if you had that same bonus but someone with fourteen years' employment hadn't? What would you think about that?

[BigRooster]

Thanks for your replies and yes if was offered it I would be very happy. The reason I I’ve asked the question was reading a help page from totaljobs on this subject of bonus payments here it is
Even with a discretionary bonus, your employer can’t give bonuses in an irrational or unreasonable way. Many bonus schemes specify performance criteria. Some also specify who will judge performance against those criteria.
Your employer should ensure that decisions are made by the right people, and that their decisions are transparent, consistent and objectively justifiable. There should also be no conflict of interest, e.g. where decision-makers receive their bonuses from the same pool

[THECORBYLOON]

I'm sure you'd be happy but what about those who missed out only by one year?

Do you think the owner has acted in an irrational or unreasonable way? It seems reasonable to me to reward those with twenty years' service but as with any similar scheme, there will be those who just miss out.

[BigRooster]

Yes some will always miss out on how this was done but when people are £9 or less it’s a lot of money. we worked it out the bonus comes to £400,000 that could have been spread across the board quite nicely . Now if we all new we to would get a big bonus after 20 years then there would be no issue but it’s not going to happen

[THECORBYLOON]

In what way is rewarding those with twenty years service not justified?

[BigRooster]

It’s justified if when all employees reach the same amount of years they get the same this isn’t going to happen it’s seems to be a one off payment for this group of people

[THECORBYLOON]

It was a parting gift to show the previous owner's gratitude. You missed out but I can't see that you have any grounds for complaint.

[woofgang]

still legal, still not unusual including the confidentiality bit.

[BigRooster]

May be not but they tried to keep it a secret from everyone sounded to dodgy .
But that’s life

[bednobs]

i'd be spitting chips if id missed out on a 20k bonus

[BigRooster]

It’s being payed over 4 years and one guy was moaning he got to pay 800 in tax what a problem to have

[Maydup]

What a disappointing and divisive final gesture there from the old owner. I can only assume there were a few old favourites he wanted to reward for old times sake with no regard for anyone else, or the wealth you had all helped him generate, otherwise he might have given everyone an amount per year of service with a cap of some kind. Well thats what I would do if I had a spare half million, but I'm not him.

[woofgang]

as I have said in my other posts, confidentiality requirements on bonusses are not unusual.

[Spicerack]

I'd sue them and stop anyone getting the bonus.

[woofgang]

Spicerack how would that stop it? The OP would lose and possibly get landed with the costs of the case and that's assuming they could find someone to take the case on. At best it might delay the first payment but I doubt it would even do that.

[BigRooster]

These guys have got there money and I wouldn’t want to see it stoped it’s not there fault but I would like to see something set up for the rest .
Fat chance of that