thinking outside the holiday bonus box 🎁🎄

becaused cash isn't always king

December 19, 2024

In partnership with

Happy Thursday HR friends!👋

I feel like I blinked and now the calendar says 19th December?! Where has 2024 gone?

As we hurtle towards January, today seems timely for us to ponder holiday bonuses🧠 

We’ll look beyond the traditional cheques and cash bonuses for something a little more personalized for our teams.

Let’s dive in shall we?🤿

In Today’s Edition

🎸 Forget Cash Bonuses: Properly Reward Your Rockstars


🛋️ The Break Room: Already sorted your bonuses? What was your team feedback?


📚 Human Readsources: Amazon delays office return for some staff., Starbucks expands parental leave benefits significantly., Trump threatens to fire teleworking federal employees..


Holiday bonus = money, right?

Schitts Creek Comedy GIF by CBC

So true 😢

Holiday bonuses are getting stale. It's time to engage your top performers with more creative, memorable rewards.


In this edition, we'll explore exciting alternatives to cash bonuses - from unforgettable team experiences to personalized perks that truly motivate.



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🎸 Forget Cash Bonuses: Reward Your Rockstars

We all know the drill - dish out a holiday bonus and call it a day. But there are rumblings in offices all over the world that cash bonuses are "so yesterday."


According to a recent survey, 60% of employees would actually prefer non-cash rewards like additional paid time off or better benefits. Shocker, right?


It's time to get creative and show your top performers some real love. Think "outside of the box" team experiences, personalized wellness perks, or even the chance to give back through charity contributions.


Not only will these stand out from the sea of cash bonuses, but they'll also reinforce your company values and if done correctly, bring your team closer to the company's mission. It is the season of giving back after all?


At the end of the day, your employees are your biggest asset (even with AI improving every day, we will always need amazing people) and they want to feel valued and appreciated for their hard work. So ditch the one-size-fits-all cash bonus and treat them to something truly memorable this holiday season.


🔗 Relevant links

👀 TLDR

Cash bonuses are boring and impersonal - employees crave meaningful non-cash rewards like paid time off, wellness perks, or charity contributions. Get creative and think outside the box if you have still to finalize your company bonuses.

⚡ Takeaway and Try

  1. 💡 Survey your team to understand their preferred non-cash rewards - don't assume what motivates them. A quick Slack poll should do the trick.

  2. ⌛ Offer flexible time-based perks like additional PTO days or "work from anywhere" weeks

  3. 🎟️ Create memorable experiences through event tickets, team outings, or wellness retreats

  4. 🎉 Plan unique team-building experiences like cooking classes, escape rooms, or a private food truck festival

  5. 🌲 Schedule outdoor spring adventures like white water rafting or a company-wide scavenger hunt across the city

  6. 💚 Empower employees with choice - let them split their bonus between cash, experiences, or charitable donations


📚 Human Readsources

🏢 Amazon's Office Return Delayed Due to Space Crunch (HR Grapevine) - Amazon delays full-time office return for some employees due to space constraints.


⚖️ Starbucks Doubles Parental Leave, Aims for "Best Retail Job (The HR Digest) - Starbucks doubles parental leave, offers industry-best benefits to employees.


📊 Trump Threatens to Fire Federal Teleworkers (HR Dive) - Trump threatens to fire federal teleworkers, criticizing Biden-era policy.


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Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition sparked some new ideas for your workplace! 🧠

We know you’re super busy and really appreciate the little corner of your inbox you let us into 3 times a week. 😀

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