Employee Bonuses: (2024 revision)

and holiday staff party event ideas

I’m currently writing about After-Christmas Sale ideas, but several of you requested information about employee bonuses and celebrating with your retail employees, so I updated a previous post for you…

I spoke with more than a dozen independent store owners about how they celebrate with their employees during the holidays and whether or not they give out bonuses at any time of year. Here’s what they shared.

• A lifestyle shop retailer in New York has five year-round employees. She holds a pre-Christmas party in November to get everyone excited for the holiday season. Her fiscal year ends in June, so she gives out cash bonuses at the November party, too. Bonuses are based on length of employment and are generally more for full time employees with the store manager getting the most. The amount changes each year, but is based on allocating 1% of total gross sales on a normal year, but she gave 2% during a particularly good year. She notes that she had no employee turnover that year, as well.

• An apparel store in Texas has a barter arrangement with the gift shop next door. She has two full time employees, two part timers and 3 seasonal helpers in December. Beginning in early December, she hangs a stocking for each employee. On days that they are scheduled to work, she puts a gift in their stocking. The gifts are “purchased” at the gift store next door. Whatever she “spends” is given back to the gift store owner in the form of apparel gift cards to “gift” to his employees. Note: the apparel store owner also buys gift cards from local restaurants and puts those along with a gift in her full time employees stockings on random days.

Keep reading for nine more ideas…