Questions Regarding Bonuses

It is almost time for bonuses for company employees.

In this day and age, there is a possibility that they might not be paid due to poor business performance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regardless of the amount, it is just nice to receive anything at all.

This might not be relevant for those on an annual salary system or freelancers, but please bear with me.

1. A thank-you email to the president?

At a company I previously belonged to, there was a notification from my supervisor that we must send a thank-you email to the president once the bonus was paid.

Well, it was a work order.
By the way, it is a company with over 1,000 employees.

1) Isn't it strange to demand feelings of gratitude as a work order?

Certainly, when considering the president's hard work, it is something to be very grateful for.

However, from the perspective of someone like me who has changed jobs, I feel it is strange.

This is because the annual salary amount, which includes bonuses twice a year, was listed as a condition at the time of changing jobs.

It is, so to speak, a contract.

Since I provided labor and time in accordance with that contract, it would be a breach of contract if I were not paid the appropriate amount.

This means that the bonus is included as compensation for work performed according to the contract.

It is like a shop clerk saying 'Thank you for your payment' when you shop at a store.

2) Why is a thank-you necessary for the payment of compensation for labor?

If a thank-you is necessary for a bonus, it would mean that we would also have to give thanks for our monthly salary.

3) Why only for bonuses?

Also, conversely, the management side does not thank the workers for their labor.

4) Why must only the employees be the ones to show gratitude?

I do think that expressing feelings of gratitude in words is good for smoothing out human relationships.

However, I had always harbored the misgivings mentioned in (1) through (4) above.

Well, I thought it was useless to complain. The managers were all just thinking about self-preservation and were so mentally checked out that they couldn't even speak up to the president.

So, there was a company like that.

2. The company holds onto the bonus

This is a story about another company.

That company didn't require me to thank the president, but it had another peculiar system.

It was: 'The company will hold onto the entire bonus. If you want it transferred to your bank, specify the purpose and amount on a standard application form. If your supervisor approves it, we will transfer it.'

I was a bit taken aback.

I submitted it every time writing 'Full amount to be used for living expenses,' but I still felt uneasy about this.

I also had the question: Why does my supervisor get to see how I use my bonus?

What else would I use it for besides living expenses? Why do I have to tell the company how I use my bonus?

3. Being made to clean like an idiot before the bonus

Right before the bonus assessment, we were made to clean every single corner. It was a company where the quality of the finish was checked and became an important assessment item.

To call it just cleaning is an understatement; the amount and quality required were beyond imagination.

Actually, this company was a group cram school, and there were multiple classrooms in one facility. I had to clean them all by myself.

I was required to polish the large number of windows until there wasn't a single smudge and make the aluminum sashes shine like new.

Because of the nature surrounding us, there were an insane amount of insect droppings and spider webs, and just removing them took more than a day.

Of course, the entrance and hallways were checked from the floor to the walls, and even the ceilings that couldn't be reached without a stepladder.

The checks were brutal; it was standard to trace various places with a finger. The computer keyboards were turned upside down and tapped to check. They looked inside the ceiling lights and deep into the air conditioner filters. They even removed the ventilation fan mesh to look inside. They checked inside the toilet tanks and behind the shoe cabinets too.

I was so exhausted I felt like I was losing my mind.

Summary

I certainly believe that management involves hardships and anxieties that a mere employee could never imagine.

However, in every case, it somehow feels like

"We are doing you a favor by paying you, so be grateful."
"This is the fruit of our management efforts, so we are bestowing it upon you."
"We are letting you work for us, so follow our orders."

The underlying attitude of these statements is visible and makes me feel uncomfortable.

By the way, these were all cram schools, and they were all companies with very peculiar habits.

I spent my time until I was over 40 in the IT industry, which is relatively smart. Perhaps that is why I felt it was even stranger when I transitioned into the cram school industry.

I am sure your companies also have unusual customs, not limited to bonus payments.

If you don't mind, please tell me about them.