Bonus Payments within the New Zealand Financial Services Sector

Abstract

Some major corporate scandals have shown that bonuses have been put above basic client needs. As a result, organisations within the financial services sector have been advised to move away from paying bonuses. However, bonus payments are an expected part of the current remuneration package in this sector, which poses an interesting challenge for the employment relationship between employees and organisations. The present study gained employee insights into their bonuses by looking at performance and other factors. Qualitative interviews were undertaken within the financial services sector. Alternatives for bonuses and implications are discussed to manage remuneration and the employer/employee relationship.