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Well, why don't you consult them? First set aside the amount of money you were thinking of paying. Now think of some options, e.g.: * Paying the bonus. * Impr

Well, why don't you consult them? First set aside the amount of money you were thinking of paying. Now think of some options, e.g.: * Paying the bonus. * Improving office amenities. * Buying each employee an expensive present. * Funding a family vacation for each employee. * Making a sizable donation to a worthy cause (collectively or for each employee). * etc. Then have a meeting with them, and ask them which they would prefer. Try to reach a consensus they all say they can live with.

loginatnine 6y ago
This. At a scale of a small company, everyone could benefit from it the way they want and you get transparency and include them in the discussion. It doesn't really scale when you are bigger though.
emodendroket 6y ago
I can practically guarantee they are going to want the cash.
- Viliam1234 6y ago
  Yeah, seems like a straightforward choice. > Paying the bonus. Gimme, gimme! > Improving office amenities. Not bad, but... it would depend on how much money we are talking about, and what office amenities it would buy. For example, once I got a new $1000 office chair that felt less comfortable than the old cheap one -- I definitely would have preferred the cash. On the other hand, once I had to work with a barely functional mouse, and I would gladly spend my own $5 to buy a new one, but that would be against the company policy, so I couldn't. In general, greater computer screens, more memory, more disk, better mouse -- good idea. (I have no idea what makes many software companies try to save money on this. It is a fraction of the developer's salary, and it can have huge impact on productivity.) Expensive chair, expensive table, art or whatever -- I would probably prefer its worth in cash, because companies typically buy stuff way more expensive than I would. Fit ball could be fun, though. At the end of the day, the cash remains mine, especially if I invest it wisely. The office amenities that company gives, the company can take away. And I can't bring them to my next job either. > Buying each employee an expensive present. Just no. If it's something I want, I can buy it myself. If you buy it without asking me, there is 99% chance it has zero value for me. > Funding a family vacation for each employee. Again, I can do this myself, if you give me money. And I prefer to keep my family separated from my job, thank you. > Making a sizable donation to a worthy cause (collectively or for each employee). Another thing I can do myself, thank you. Also, high chance the "worthy cause" will be something super politically correct, and I don't want to be that bad guy who publicly opposes it.
  - einpoklum 6y ago
    "I can do it myself", "I don't need you" etc. - you're being slightly misanthropic here. Why are you assuming GP's employees don't want to do anything together? Even about office amenities - you're assuming it's several units of something personal. Maybe it's setting up a recreation room, that everyone can use? Maybe people want to install a skylight for their workspace, or set up some indoor plants with water drips and stuff?
    - Viliam1234 6y ago
      > you're being slightly misanthropic here I try to keep my job separated from... well, everything else. I can be quite anthropic in my free time, with people I choose freely of economic consequences. > Why are you assuming GP's employees don't want to do anything together? If they do, then I have no objection. People are different, probably any choice is going to make someone unhappy. > set up some indoor plants with water drips and stuff Ok, I'd like this one.
- einpoklum 6y ago
  (shrugs) Well, that's legitimate. In a different company it may be different. But this is not the point. The point is that: 1. They get to to be involved in making the decision, and 2. This kind of a process will create a clear distinction, in their consciousness, between the bonus money and their salary - since the process for obtaining the bonus money is different and special.

loginatnine 6y ago

This. At a scale of a small company, everyone could benefit from it the way they want and you get transparency and include them in the discussion. It doesn't really scale when you are bigger though.

emodendroket 6y ago

I can practically guarantee they are going to want the cash.

Viliam1234 6y ago
Yeah, seems like a straightforward choice. > Paying the bonus. Gimme, gimme! > Improving office amenities. Not bad, but... it would depend on how much money we are talking about, and what office amenities it would buy. For example, once I got a new $1000 office chair that felt less comfortable than the old cheap one -- I definitely would have preferred the cash. On the other hand, once I had to work with a barely functional mouse, and I would gladly spend my own $5 to buy a new one, but that would be against the company policy, so I couldn't. In general, greater computer screens, more memory, more disk, better mouse -- good idea. (I have no idea what makes many software companies try to save money on this. It is a fraction of the developer's salary, and it can have huge impact on productivity.) Expensive chair, expensive table, art or whatever -- I would probably prefer its worth in cash, because companies typically buy stuff way more expensive than I would. Fit ball could be fun, though. At the end of the day, the cash remains mine, especially if I invest it wisely. The office amenities that company gives, the company can take away. And I can't bring them to my next job either. > Buying each employee an expensive present. Just no. If it's something I want, I can buy it myself. If you buy it without asking me, there is 99% chance it has zero value for me. > Funding a family vacation for each employee. Again, I can do this myself, if you give me money. And I prefer to keep my family separated from my job, thank you. > Making a sizable donation to a worthy cause (collectively or for each employee). Another thing I can do myself, thank you. Also, high chance the "worthy cause" will be something super politically correct, and I don't want to be that bad guy who publicly opposes it.
- einpoklum 6y ago
  "I can do it myself", "I don't need you" etc. - you're being slightly misanthropic here. Why are you assuming GP's employees don't want to do anything together? Even about office amenities - you're assuming it's several units of something personal. Maybe it's setting up a recreation room, that everyone can use? Maybe people want to install a skylight for their workspace, or set up some indoor plants with water drips and stuff?
  - Viliam1234 6y ago
    > you're being slightly misanthropic here I try to keep my job separated from... well, everything else. I can be quite anthropic in my free time, with people I choose freely of economic consequences. > Why are you assuming GP's employees don't want to do anything together? If they do, then I have no objection. People are different, probably any choice is going to make someone unhappy. > set up some indoor plants with water drips and stuff Ok, I'd like this one.
einpoklum 6y ago
(shrugs) Well, that's legitimate. In a different company it may be different. But this is not the point. The point is that: 1. They get to to be involved in making the decision, and 2. This kind of a process will create a clear distinction, in their consciousness, between the bonus money and their salary - since the process for obtaining the bonus money is different and special.