Before writing a check however, it would be nice to know who gets a bonus and how the amount for each employee is calculated.
Two email requests for this information were addressed to our manager and remain unanswered.
There was, at one time, a formula calculated based on length of service and base pay. I believe that bonuses were only distributed to hourly employees. While we don't have the exact details, this seemed a fair way to distribute the money.
We are reluctant to contribute to the bonus fund unless detailed information on its distribution is made available first. Sort of like contributing to a charity which may be using most of the money for administrative costs...... What are your thoughts on this? 
16 comments:
Back in 2002, while Millie Strohm was our "CPA", we paid the Christmas Fund in CASH, so the employees didn't pay income tax on the "gift". We stuffed the envelopes (checking and double-checking) according to the "FORMULA" that had been used for years. Everyone was pleased with their bonus.
When United Community was managing, the "Formula" was "lost" and the pay-out was awful. I was told that both Steve and Artie got $1000 each and the rest was divvied up somehow - SOME of the newer employees got a measly $60 - what a kick in the teeth! Christmas Bah Humbug!
Manager Joanne dragged a little Donation Box everywhere - Board Meetings, Home-Owner Meetings - even to the Christmas Boat Parade (she got THREE donations that night and was delighted!) - that year the Fund went over $9000 - the biggest ever! and she and Gordon Houston worked out a new "Fornula". This was based not only on wage and length of service, but also on "Title" - both Steve and Artie were "heads" of their divisions, and Vinny and Lenny (for instance) were SUB-heads - "Landscaping" and "Water-Works"; that year's "Formula" had everyone grinning so wide their faces threatened to split!
I understand that LAST year the amounts were divvied up according to a "whatever" formula - and probably won't improve this year either. From what I can determine, at November's Budget time, there was a measly $368.00 in the Employee Holiday Fund.
Since Joanne left, we don't donate to the fund, since we have NO idea just who gets a pay-out and how much favoritism is followed in the distribution. We go to the Dollar Store, get money cards and put a nice crisp bill in each and hand them out to those we feel actually merit it.
Merry Christmas Guys!
The formula as I knew it to be last year ,was that there existed a spreadsheet that all you had to do was enter in the amount collected and the formula in the spreadsheet would then calculate the distribution. The fulltimers received a fullshare, and the parttimers received a half share. It was calculated according to how many days per week an employee worked, and how many hours. The President had access to this spreadsheet last year, was responsible for making the deposits to the employee holiday fund account, which receipts were ALWAYS photocopied including the checks and cash, and then distributed the cash at the holiday party. There are file folders for each year in the office including last year, unless of course, they went missing like everything else seems to have gone. These files have the amount collected, the copies of the monies, the deposit receipts, and the payout with employee name. It was known in the past years, that money was collected but when the amounts distributed were added up, there were discrepencies. Seemed the amounts disbursed were under about a couple of thousand dollars than what was collected. Hmmm...you draw your own conclusions.
Got an Informer e-mail about a survey on managing BCC and it got me thinking.
We hired Colleen at $60,000 a year. That works out roughly to $5,000 a month.
When she was hired, she was supposed to work a 40-hour week (8 AM to 5 PM with an hour off for lunch). That works out roughly to 160 hours a month = $31.25 an hour.
NOW the office has brand new hours of 10 AM to 4 PM (I don't remember a vote being taken on this at a Board Meeting!) so the Manager now works a FIVE-hour day (instead of 8 hours) and works a 25-hour week (instead of 40 hours)= 100 hours a month (instead of 160 hours).
She should have had her wages dropped from $60,000 down to $37,500, since she's working only 5/8 of what she was hired at. (Or, instead of $5,000 a month, she should be getting $3,125.00 a month.)
INSTEAD, since she still gets $60,000 a year, she's now got a "raise" from $31.25 per hour up to $50.00 hour!
She has LESS responsibilities than when she was hired - i.e. she's no longer responsible for Security and I hear rumors that she's working like stink to get rid of Maintenance as well and out-source that too.
What in hell are we paying her for?
Is 10 to 4 the hours worked or the hours the office is open? If it's hours worked, does the office assistant work the same hours?
Colleen is used to being a "portfolio manager". That means she is used to using her blackberry to answer emails from several board members of various communities while sitting on the beach, sleeping in late, going to nail appointments, hair appointments, etc. and letting the office assistant do all the work. She had mentioned in the past when first hired, that she wanted shorter office hours, that she wanted security out-sourced and maintenance out-sourced as well. I can distinctly remember a Ms. Joyous Burkart coming to Colleen's defense stating that was NOT the case. Well, let's look at the facts. Security IS outsourced, she IS trying to out-source maintenance, and the office hours ARE cut. I also remember all the hubbub that was made when Sam tried to out-source maintenance and security. What's the difference between now and then? Sam actually made the office open at 8 am instead of 8:30 am, and had it stay open through the lunch hour so that the RESIDENTS could be served. Isn't that the whole purpose of the manager and the office assistant?! To serve the community?? I could only hope that my maintenance payments are being spent next year a bit better than this year on a manager who is obviously LAZY, INCOMPENTANT, and UNDEVOTED.
I took my check for the Employee Holiday Fund into the Office on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
When I walked in the door, that woman Jane looked up and simply stared at me. No greeting, no smile (oh Sheila! we MISS your smiley face!). I smiled. No reaction.
Finally, she said, in a flat nasal voice "What can I do for you?" (It felt like she was REALLY saying, "What the hell do YOU want!")
I put my check back in my pocket, grabbed some stupid form from the set on the wall and walked out.
I thought - I'm NOT donating to a fund that SHE just might share in!
What the hell has this Board done to us? They "swapped" out a terrific Office team for .... WHAT????
Even United Community's Esther was more professional than THIS bimbo - not more friendly, but business-like. Esther DIDN'T project this "hostile" feeling.
Where did they find this Jane? Some down-at-the-heels government agency?
I hope a new Board will IMPROVE things in that Office! What a greeting - she had no idea who I was. I could have been a realtor, a potential buyer, a vendor - whatever. What a lousy image for BCC!
Well well well seems you are giving Sheila room on your blog to harass the manager and the office gal. She posted all the nasty stuff about them. Her and houston are having a holiday. Be careful, you may have to go to work to pay for a lawyer.
Well, well, well. Isn't this STILL America? Free speech, apple pie and all that good stuff?
Are you claiming that Sheila is writing on Charlie's Blog? Gee ... you must be sweatin' buckets - maybe she'll let something slip out that YOU might not want to see in print! I know who MOST people would believe ....... tain't YOU, Cupcake!
Go ahead - threaten a lawsuit - that's your answer for EVERYTHING - your doggie can't have free rein (threat of lawsuit to the Board) - you think you're the ultimate "authority" on landscaping (I understand Jack Israel now isn't your best friend because he won't roll over on his back and do what YOU want - did you threaten HIM with a lawsuit too?) - you threatened the Houstons with a lawsuit - who's next???????
If you are such a "money-bags" that you can afford all these frivolous law-suits, maybe you're living on the wrong side of the canal ....... why don't you move over to Bay Colony Estates - IF they'd let YOU in - hahahaha.
Hey - we'll help you pack ...
Hooray for the Informer - it gives us more news than the office OR the board all lumped together. It told us about the TV channel AND the list of whose running. I think the Saundra-Sam faction is gonna win THIS time - the Wilber-Bud Board has done NOTHING for us except fire competent people and bring in expensive ornaments! Only 5 weeks to wait for a decent board.
Jason Dorfman is running in the Election? What colossal nerve! He's the guy that's using our BCC community property as a used-car storage facility - he's got cars without license plates parked all over the place. Security isn't doing anything about it either. Vote for HIM? In a pig's eye!
I was told - in confidence - that the Employee Holiday Fund was paid out in equal shares of $478.00 to everyone, with no regard to length of service, title or wages.
Bruno Baby says
Bev Houston said...
I was told - in confidence -
Tell Houston and she tells the world.
Sneaky Pete:
We know why Joanne carried a donation box around.
She took some for herself. Ask Sheila.
JoyLESS, dahling ... when I say "in confidence" - it means that I will not divulge my sources, so that retribution will not fall on someone innocent, just like a detective doesn't reveal his sources - otherwise, he'd have NO sources to draw on. The information is correct but the innocent are protected.
As to Joanne "stealing" from the Employee Fund - I know of no-one who gave CASH - it was ALL checks, duly noted and entered. Maybe the Board YOU were on did things differently???
Boy - you sure do like to stir things and create whole mountain ranges out of tiny little worm-mounds. Of course, that's how you get your twisted "jollies" - if there's nothing going on, you CREATE a rumor.
Just ask Shiela???Really? Surely you jest!
Most of this doesn't seem to be really very helpful.
There will be a blog article on the upcoming election posted within a couple of days.
Please hold comments on BOD candidates until that article appears and then post to the "Election" article. Thanks.
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