Bonus cut by appraisal

[cheeky_chops]

Hi looking for some thoughts on where i stand on an appraisal that has cost me £2k bonus

Been FTE with a large company 8 years, third different IT role. Yearly appraisals are done in late Nov for xmas bonus. In previous appraisals i got a 3 or "succeeding" (1 bad, 5 overperforming). For 2017/18 i had no appraisal/goals set (mgmt issues). In last 10 months i have a new boss who is new to the company. Anyway, there are two sections to the appraisal - "management competencies" (eg comms, leadership, planning etc) and "performance rating" (overview). He gave me a 2/3 for mgmt rating and 3 for performance rating. All ok i presume as the bonus structure is setout in a letter in january and it clearly states the bonus potential (% of salary) compared to your "performance rating"

Nice xmas surprise, i get my bonus letter - but this year the surprise is ive had £2k knocked off my expected £4k bonus for the 2/3! Ive taken his to my manager but nothing he can do so Ive taken it to a IT director. She said "the 3 in performance rating is a mistake, the 2/3 is whats used" (ie the management rating section) and the form was filled in wrong. She wasnt interested in how the bonus letter was setup, I am really pi$$ed off. Ive got some more documents and the process is setout that my manager and I have appraisal meeting (done) then its formally typed, both sign the appraisal, but this didnt happened so i never got to even see the final form before it was submitted to directors. On my last review (two years ago) the mgmt review was blank and only the performace section filled in.

So im left with the option suck it up or raise a grievance via HR. If i was genuinely underperforming (never told this in monthly 1:1's during 2018) id just take the hit, but i do a good job and have done in all roles over the years. Its a kick in the teeth. Ive never raised a grievence in 31 years of work so alittle concerned! Any advise and experience appreciated

[Terminator X]

If they are treating you "badly" then you can't be of any value to them so just move on eg get another job where you will be valued. As you have been there a while you may be suffering from not being "new and shiny" like a new starter. I worked at 2 places for 10 years each before working for myself and both times there seemed to be some sort of attitude shift after a long time had passed.

TX.

[cheeky_chops]

my plan is to go contracting in 18 months but got share options, redundancy possibility but def short term brexit all on my mind otherwise i would of told her to stick it where sun dont shine!

[ozzuk]

If you feel that way then maybe go ahead with the grievance. Might make them more likely to make you rendundant! Doesn't sound like you've got much to lose and more to gain.

[A205GTI]

Also read your contract ref bonus as most companies will put in writing that your Bonus is discretionary, cost me £6k one quarter due to missing one nonsensical KPI in a previous role

[Monkeylegend]

Out of interest has your new boss been there for the whole appraisal period.

If not how would he have appraised your performance, is it all results based or an element of subjective judgements on his behalf?

[mcg_]

From listening to my misses all these years working at a big ftse 100 company with monthly 1:1s etc, you'll need to raise a grievance.

I'd play on it being totally unexpected.

[cheeky_chops]

A205GTI said:

Also read your contract ref bonus as most companies will put in writing that your Bonus is discretionary, cost me £6k one quarter due to missing one nonsensical KPI in a previous role

Thanks all - i think A205GTI has hit nail on head - bonus letter /T'C's have "discretionary" littering every section

Not done anything yet.

[Keep it stiff]

It seems to me that this is exactly the sort of matter that a grievance procedure is in place to consider. The key issues are:

1. Did they adequately communicate the new arrangements they put in place?
2. Have they followed the process correctly?
3. How can they show objectivity of your appraisal assessment?
4. Have they responded adequately to the issues you have raised?

From what has been said in the post it looks like they failed on all four and my view is the you should progress this as a grievance.

[cheeky_chops]

Keep it stiff said:

It seems to me that this is exactly the sort of matter that a grievance procedure is in place to consider. The key issues are:

1. Did they adequately communicate the new arrangements they put in place?
2. Have they followed the process correctly?
3. How can they show objectivity of your appraisal assessment?
4. Have they responded adequately to the issues you have raised?

From what has been said in the post it looks like they failed on all four and my view is the you should progress this as a grievance.

thanks ever so much - going to think about it today, put some grievance points down in a document based on this and sleep on it

[GT03ROB]

A205GTI said:

Also read your contract ref bonus as most companies will put in writing that your Bonus is discretionary, cost me £6k one quarter due to missing one nonsensical KPI in a previous role

Our contracts don't even have any reference to a bonus. Officially they don't exist.

But they are awarded & the letter that comes with them clearly spells out they are discretionary & will not always be given.

[Black_S3]

This is the exact type of nonsense that made me leave a similar company, completely retrain and never go back into the environment. The likely reason they are unwilling to look at sorting it is because the surplus has been put into the management bonus pot and divvied up already there is no money to correct things for you as increasing the pbi pot needs board approval.

The problem you hit is that neither bonus or pay rise will be guaranteed. If your manager is not already onside you will just get told you got the correct bonus for your performance rating and no doubt get advised on how to perform better.

In the end I asked the head of department for a half hour chat... explained what had gone on, 3 years in a row (my issue was salary rather than bonus and a new manager who thought putting everyone in the just doing their job category saved the company money) and that I was resigning because of it. He came to me before I left with an offer to correct the mistake but by that point I’d had enough.

The lesson I took from it was in these places if you end up with a line manager who is not on your side and looking out for you expect to get nowhere so don’t spend years believing false promises.

[anonymous-user]

This is the very reason I decided to go contracting companies appear to have a complex method of diddling you out of your bonus.

I acquired a new Director, who despite the qualifying period of the Bonus scheme being under the previous Director , I had blown every target out of the water, including the ones where the goal posts had moved more than once, he advised that I wouldn't be getting any bonus "as I hadn't communicated my success internally".

[Black_S3]

Vandenberg said:

This is the very reason I decided to go contracting companies appear to have a complex method of diddling you out of your bonus.

That was way more rational the approach I took.

OP - forgot to add, but I’m sure you know it already... Before you raise a grievance which is likely against your manager who next years bonus is in the hands of consider if you’re happy working hard there a whole year for your manager to potentially give you the lowest possible rating that can be justified in return.