Pay Element Detail: Bonuses
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Written by Compa Support
Updated over a week ago

Compa Index Properties

Pay Element

Also Known As...

Time Period

Definition

Ongoing Bonus

Annual bonus, target bonus, cash incentive, short-term incentive

Annual

Typically expressed as a percentage of base salary or as a target cash amount.

Representative of the organization's corporate bonus program where employees are eligible for an ongoing bonus, based on achievement of corporate and/or individual goals.

New Hire Bonus

Sign on bonus, sign-on, starting bonus, hiring bonus, signing bonus

One-time

Typically expressed as an cash amount.

Used to attract employees with hard-to-find skills or as a way to make an employee "whole" if they are leaving money on the table from their previous employer.

Other One-Time Bonuses

Relocation, milestone, spot, patent, referral, project, etc.

One-time

Typically expressed as a cash amount.

Any one-time variable payment an organization might offer a candidate that is not covered by other defined pay elements.


Geographies

The tables and information below highlight localization, prevalence and notes across global regions. Not all regions may have data available for specific pay elements and/or countries, and not all countries may be represented in Compa Index at this time.

Information is representative of aggregate regional findings as country-specific prevalence for New Hire and Other One-Time bonuses is rare. To the extent localized data is available, it will be included on a country-by-country basis.

Information has been vetted with compensation professionals, however we always recommend you confirm requirements with your organization's local, in-country experts.

NORTH AMERICA (Includes Canada and the United States)

Pay Element

Localization

Prevalence

Notes

Ongoing Bonus

% of base salary or target cash amount

Typical; eligibility based on career level

Typically paid once, annually

New Hire Bonus

% of base salary or amount

Occasional

Typically paid over 1 year; some orgs may have longer payout requirements

Other One-Time Bonus

Amount

Occasional

Typically one-time payment

EUROPE

Bonus Type

Localization

Prevalence

Notes

Ongoing

New Hire

Other One-Time

LATIN AMERICA

Bonus Type

Localization

Prevalence

Notes

Ongoing

New Hire

Other One-Time

ASIA

Bonus Type

Localization

Prevalence

Notes

Ongoing

New Hire

Other One-Time

AFRICA

Bonus Type

Localization

Prevalence

Notes

Ongoing

New Hire

Other One-Time


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