Holiday bonuses are a great way of expressing gratitude to your workers. Whereas employees like being cherished, they like money better. An organization, which has given cash benefits in the past, then its workers might be expecting a bonus to cater for their holiday costs. But knowing how COVID-19 has overturned companies’ profits, it will be interesting to watch what bonuses workers get.
The holiday bonuses are likely to be informed by the organization’s operational realities than generosity and appreciation of their workers. The profit decrease will take center stage in informing this year bonuses.
If you plan to gift your employees with bonuses, the tips described below will come in handy. In addition, they will expound on what other organizations and doing, thus aiding you in decision making.
What is a Holiday Bonus?
A holiday bonus is an organization’s token of appreciation, which is dispersed equally among all workers. The distribution of the holiday bonus is not influenced by performance, base pay, or years of service. Everyone receives a similar amount.
Holiday bonuses come in different forms, including:
- An additional check was presented to an employee during the festivity period.
- An organization’s special present.
- Several additional days of leave.
Irrespective of the kind of bonus you decide to offer your employees, there are several factors which you have to consider. First, never tie the bonus to any specific religious holiday unless you operate a spiritual enterprise. Case in point, you are advised to call it a “holiday bonus” rather than a “Christmas bonus.” And second, it is crucial to share the bonus equally among every member of the organization. And if you happen to give holiday bonuses, ensure that every worker receives something. It is disheartening if all your colleagues get a bonus and you do not.
Providing Holiday Bonuses for Your Staff
In California, no laws demand you to offer holiday bonuses to your employees. But that does not have to stop you from providing them a token of appreciation.
Most California bosses opt to offer holiday bonuses as a means of attracting and keeping top talent, raising workers’ morale, and showing their commitment to their teams. If you are contemplating offering bonuses to your employees, here are a few things you should know:
- Be crystal clear on what days are noted as holidays to avert any potential misunderstanding.
- Explain to your employees your holiday bonus policy. It is vital to explain how holiday bonuses are paid within your organization.
Holiday Bonuses for 2021
To understand how small enterprises were fairing in 2021, Business Know-How conducted a survey and included two questions about bonuses. Only 41.6% of the small businesses participating indicated they were giving holiday bonuses in 2021. The percentage slightly decreased from 2019’s survey, which stated that 42.8% of enterprises were giving holiday bonuses.
The Average Holiday Bonus
According to Business Know-How, about 79% of the organizations indicated that they offered the holiday bonus as a flat-rate cash amount. The flat-rate amounts varied from as low as $20 to as high as $10,000. Approximately half of the respondents indicated that the rate would be between $100 and $500. On the other hand, small organizations were planning to issue salary percentages, with a seven-day salary being the most common amount. Nonetheless, there was still a fraction of smaller organizations, which was undecided.
Bigger Businesses Holiday Bonuses For 2021
According to a survey conducted by Willis Towers Watson Data Services, about 66% of the bigger businesses confirmed they were issuing bonuses. But executives and management level staff are the most likely to get them. 26% of the respondents were uncertain on whether to give bonuses or not. In contrast, the remaining 8% were quite confident that they would not issue any holiday bonuses to their employees.
What Kind of Holiday Bonus Should Your Organization Give?
From research, it is evident that many organizations select one or more of these alternatives.
1. Cash Bonuses
Additional money during the holidays gives the employees smiles. And the key reason is that many have additional costs during the holidays. For most small organizations, this bonus happens to be a flat rate. While in others, it is equivalent to a percentage of salary or dependent on the revenue generated by the company within that financial year.
2. Performance-Based Bonuses
There are organizations, which offer performance-based bonuses rather than holiday bonuses. These pay-for-performance programs, rewards are issued if the worker met or surpassed annual targets. These types of bonuses are only distributed at the beginning of a new financial year.
3. Non-Cash Gifts
A lot of small organizations offer a non-cash present only or as an addition to the cash bonus. Other companies offer special incentives like flexible hours on holidays.
How Are Holiday Bonuses Taxed?
Holiday bonuses are considered compensation; hence, they are also taxed. But what fraction will the internal revenue service (IRS) take from your share? Let us have a look.
1. Federal Income Tax
In many cases, the taxman demands a federal income tax of 25% on additional pay that includes bonuses. Some business owners will consist of bonuses within the workers’ paycheck and hold back taxes on the entire amount. Often this causes an even larger tax hold back. In such a scenario, the worker can get a fraction of it back with their return. To lighten things for you, you might want to give a distinct check for the bonuses.
2. State Income Tax
In places where state income tax applies, bonuses are taxed at whatever rate the law demands.
3. Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)
The initial $127,200 of a person’s yearly pay is subjected to social security taxes. So if the workers’ amount is not worth that much, their holiday bonus will be subjected to the tax 0f 6.2%.
If you are uncertain about how to go about it, you should seek a reputable firm’s accounting and tax services Carmel CA.
Since the holidays are inching closer, most organizations want to thank their staff for their services with holiday bonuses. It is our sincerest hope that this guide aids you in determining the kind of bonus they deserve and the amount. If not, feel free to contact Savage Accountancy, and we will be at your service. The team at Savage Accountancy is renowned due to their effectiveness in business tax planning in Carmel, California. Hence, you should give them a call.
