The appropriate Christmas bonus should average 1,964 kuna, which is 24 percent higher than the expected average Christmas bonus of 1,572 kuna, according to a survey conducted in November on the MojPosao portal, involving over 1,000 respondents.
The expected amount of the Christmas bonus is higher than last year’s by 134 kuna or 9.3 percent. This year, 43 percent of respondents expect a Christmas bonus, which is eight percent less than in 2009. Among the respondents expecting a Christmas bonus, a large majority (81 percent) expect cash, averaging 1,572 kuna. A voucher is expected by 36 percent of respondents (more than in 2009 when it was expected by 27 percent), averaging 738 kuna. Gift packages are expected by eight percent of those surveyed this year.
This year, the highest expectation for a Christmas bonus comes from respondents employed in private companies with foreign ownership (64 percent) and those employed in foreign institutions (53 percent). In state-owned companies, 40 percent of employees expect a Christmas bonus, while in state institutions, a quarter (25 percent) expect it, which is a significant difference compared to last year’s 68 percent. In the middle are employees in private companies with domestic ownership, where 42 percent of employees expect a Christmas bonus.
Considering the number of employees at the employer, the highest expectation for a Christmas bonus comes from respondents employed in companies and institutions with more than 200 employees. Regional differences are not so pronounced, as respondents from all regions equally (do not) expect a Christmas bonus, although they are most optimistic in Dalmatia, Istria, and Kvarner. This year, 47 percent of employees will resent their employer if the Christmas bonus, which they consider their right, is not paid, and 53 percent believe that the Christmas bonus will be paid depending on business results, according to the statement.
