Nurses ‘most deserving’ of bonus payment for Christmas

THREE in four Irish people believe nurses are the workers most deserving of a Christmas bonus.

And people working long hours in the retail sector over the festive season are also deserving of extra pay, they say.

The findings are made in a survey conducted among 1,000 people across the country by One4All – with least support for a Christmas bonus directed towards politicians.

Some 76pc of those surveyed said nursing staff deserved a little extra in their pay packet around Christmas, with 63pc agreeing the same for retail workers.

Some 53pc said teachers and gardaí were also more deserving of a Christmas bonus.

However, the same feeling is not replicated towards politicians – with only 7pc of those surveyed saying they should get a little extra this Christmas.

Interestingly, one in five of those surveyed said their own boss deserved a festive bonus.

The survey also found that it was small businesses – defined as companies which employ up to 50 people – which were more generous when it came to bonuses, giving their staff an average of €425.

Businesses which employ more than 250 people handed out an average bonus of €355.

However, the majority of Irish workers said they were happy with any form of appreciation from their employers at Christmas, with 71pc claiming that the actual amount doesn’t matter.