The bonus is a complementary salary.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), a bonus is a gift that is given at different celebrations, including Christmas . In many countries, however, the concept is usually associated specifically with an additional payment that an employer makes to its employee.
The bonus, in this sense, is a remuneration that the worker receives beyond the twelve monthly salaries he receives per year. Generally, it is an extra salary that is divided into two : in this way, the worker receives half a bonus in the middle of the year and half a bonus at the end of the year, at times normally associated with summer and winter holidays.
Origin of the bonus
It is believed that the origin of the Christmas bonus lies in a tradition of the ancient Romans who, on New Year's Eve , approached monarchs with gifts to convey good wishes. This custom was transferred to other cultures, in different contexts.
Thus, in various nations, the extraordinary remuneration that employees receive so that they can cover the usual expenses that arise at the end of the year holidays began to be called a Christmas bonus.
Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Expenses
It is known that every year millions of people invest large amounts of money in Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners , as well as in the corresponding lunches, and this without leaving aside Three Kings Day, which is very important in Spain , for example. We are not talking about the amount of a dinner in a restaurant, but about small fortunes to entertain the whole family. If we add to this the cost of the gifts , then we get a good idea of the usefulness of the bonus.
That said, the bonus for these people has the purpose of supporting the expenses of the holidays , and therefore they rely on their existence to celebrate their meetings normally, often neglecting the rest of the salaries instead of preparing preventive savings . for potential delays in the payment of the extraordinary amount. This often leads to the request for loans, simply to face the aforementioned feasts.
Generally, the aguinado is intended to cover the expenses related to the celebration of Christmas and New Year.
How the bonus is calculated
The bonus can be established by law or through a private collective agreement . If we take the case of Argentine legislation, the bonus is considered as a complementary annual salary that is paid in two installments : one on June 30 and the other on December 18 . This means that a worker, in Argentina , must earn thirteen annual salaries.
There are, however, other ways to set the bonus. In Costa Rica , the bonus arises from the sum of the salaries that the worker received between December of the previous year and November of the current year; Then this sum is divided by twelve. The result is the bonus, which is paid before December 20 .
A worker's right
It should be noted that people who work illegally , that is, without having been properly and legally registered by their employer, do not usually enjoy the bonus, nor do they enjoy such basic rights as paid vacations. Likewise, in many employment relationships that at first glance could be classified as legal or blank , employers seek all possible means to delay the payment of the bonus to their workers.
The bonus is one of the points that companies try to manipulate the most, and this can result in delays of several months or even more than a year. To fight against any type of abuse of power, employees should seek professional advice that provides them with the necessary protection and tells them where and how to make their claims to enjoy all their rights.