fzrst

I am giving $50. That is not a choice on the survey.

nickels and dimes, nickels and dime.

$100 per year of practice is a f*cking lie. Nobody does that. Stop perpetrating this myth.

The NY scale is $100-200.

"New York appears to have its own scale. Even with the bonus slash, many associates are still giving their secretaries $100 per each year the associate has worked at the firm."

Complete mischaracterization of the comments in the thread. One mis-guided soul posted this and the rest of the NYC associate commentators responded that this was insane. Am I really going to give my secretary $700, meanwhile I'd be lucky if I can spend that much on a gift or gifts for my wife?!?!

Bubble gum and shoe laces...

I am doing a line of coke off her ass

Bubble gum and shoe laces...

I am giving (as I do every year) a long, gentle mustache ride. Everyone's happy,

I am doing a line of coke off her ass

Bubble gum and shoe laces...

New York standard varies between $100-300 for associates. Even partners don't give more than $500. It is nuts to think that senior associates do.

BS - again. Assuming that $100 per year of work at firm is true for NYC (which I doubt), it's meaningless if same secy wasn't with you the entire time.

Kash,

Can you please find another picture to accompany posts about secretaries? This one is degrading.

I would like to share secretaries with 8 and 11 please.

What's up the the sec'y bitching about getting a gift card? The bonus should come from the firm. What your attorney gives you is a GIFT. I'm knitting my sec'y a scarf this year.

Federal employee not giving to our pool of admin assitants. My salary is too small and the help they give is minimal.

What's up the the sec'y bitching about getting a gift card? The bonus should come from the firm. What your attorney gives you is a GIFT. I'm knitting my sec'y a scarf this year.

i'm giving a $50 amex card and a small gift, like chocolates or something. i'm a first year and have been at my firm less than 2 months. next year, i will be happy to give $100, but i think $50 is generous for two months, esp considering that first years generally do not use their secretaries for more than fedexing packages or making a copy here and there.

Wow, this site has really tanked. There are perhaps 2-3 legitimate comments to every 10 juvenile posts. It is too much to wade through so much nonsense to find the precious few intelligent comments. Perhaps more active moderation is in order.

""if you decide on giving gift certificates/store cards - I sincerely hope your next bonus will be paid in the same currency." - Is this seriously how people in law think? Are they seriously this back-biting and passive-agressive? I'm just a law student, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to stand people with shitty attitudes and stupid-ass entitlements. If I hadn't known about these "traditions" I would have just given my secretary a card or a book (I like giving out books). If she doesn't like it, she can blow a goat because God never told Jesus to tell me that secretaries have a right to AMEX gift cards.

"if you decide on giving gift certificates/store cards - I sincerely hope your next bonus will be paid in the same currency."

so i guess if the attorney is not getting any bonus no gift for the secretary is appropriate?

Everyone who bitches about the picture on this thread has clearly never seen the movie, which is brilliant.

22 - I like the mixute of religion and goat blowing in ur post.

I'm giving my secretary a pearl necklace

How much did the secretaries pay you to publish this tripe?

One lonely, friendless nerd living in a hoboken studio with her cat as a 7th year suggests that she gives her bff secretary $700. This does not make it a NY standard.

21 - that was a legitimate comment?

Co-sign 20. I am a first year and I started at my firm in October. I think a $50 gift card and a box of chocolates is generous especially since my secretary is completely useles

I am giving my secretary a day being kicked in the FUPA by my size 12.

15 - You need a mustache ride. And the movie is great, watch it then you'll understand.

25 - Nailed it.

My option is not listed on the survey either; I'm giving $25 per session of hot under-the-desk-sex with my secretary.

My secretary is getting 5 crisp 20-dollar bills this year. I don't know who the hell gives $100 per year at the firm. I don't even give that much to relatives.

22, see John 3:17.

Please update immediately with a photo and bio of Eliza Gray.

Secretaries like having their FUPAs prodded by the shoes of associates.

I gave my secretary a prepaid gas card so she can make it to the local Planned Parenthood Office.

Can we get either some chatter or an actual survey about inter-office Coitus?

I'm talking Secretaries, Associates, Partners, Summers, Paralegals, Receptionists, the whole Shebang.

I stumbled onto this thread while doing research for something completely unrelated. I've never worked for a law firm, but my cousin used to, and here's what she told me about her experience. Is this typical? -

My cousin used to be a legal secretary for Venable in DC. She was a legal secretary for more than 10 years, and she says that she typically received approx. $100 per year for Christmas from all three of her attorneys - 1 partner and 2 associates.

She has a master's degree, and typically handled entire cases for the partner, who signed off, without even reading, on correspondence and even court documents, that my cousin drafted. Her work load was intense because her attorneys worked for penny-pinching clients, so they expected her to do everything with little or no overtime. She'd come in early and work late just to get everything done, but she wouldn't bill overtime.

She ended up leaving once she married. She wasn't really happy that her attorneys were making large salaries and getting large bonuses based on her work for which they were taking credit.

Everyone, EVERYONE, working at biglaw, or even at a mid-size - even if only for a few months - can afford a $100 AmEx gift card for his/her secretary. If you are so cheap that this makes you bristle, then simply think of it as "the cost of doing business," and move on. Because it is. Like getting a hair cuts. Get some class and try to act like the professional that you are.

22 - I hope you become a little more worldly and sophisticated before you graduate. Otherwise, you'll become the ignorant, greedy brat who stiffs your secretary, fails to tip your doorman at the end of the year, and always comes up "a little short" when going out to dinner with friends. Oh, I know your type. It's pathetic.

- Junior Associate

here are some gifts for the people in your group. http://endofesq.com/?p=640

These are the gifts that keep on giving

39 - you should stumble right back out of this thread. Your post is ridiculous.

39-
1. Hop on Mustache
2. Ride.
3. Repeat.

I gave my secretary a one-eyed yogurt slinging trouser snake as a pet for xmass one year.

i already feel peer pressured into giving my secretaries better gifts than i give my own family. and yes i'm cheap, but i'm also trying to pay off loans in a crappy economy and saving up to buy a house with the market tanks and worrying about layoffs too. 100/yr of practice is simply ridiculous, the secretaries should just do their jobs.

how much do you tip your doorman in nyc? There's almost 10 different guys that work the door in my building.

Can't I just give the one who knows my name a bottle of whiskey and be done w/ it?

46 -- I stopped giving to everyone b/c they don't even know who I am. I only give to the ones I interact with. I don't know what a going rate is, but I give the guys out front $50 each. Maintenance may be less.

The SnorgTees girls are SMOKIN!

.........crickets..........................................crickets..................

secretaries in my office? Probably givng them some mittens and wool caps for all the bastard children they have.

40-

I'm not saying that I'm a greedy asshole, I'm just saying that Christmas is about celebrating Jesus and getting wasted off eggnog, and somebody whining about the gift they get is not in line with the spirit of the holiday. I actually tip very well and take care of people that take care of me. But I hate the materiality and consumerism of Christmas, and I am not heartened by the fact that everything in law firms has become a commodity exchange, where a secretary will secretly whine to a website run by a fat grammatically challenged liberal haterator to whine about the amex gift card that she was ENTITLED to so that she could buy some meaningless little bullshit thing that would darken her soul further.

Query -- what do you give a secretary you've only had for a couple of months? My last one was reassigned elsewhere and I just got the new assignment. Protocol in this situation for a midlevel associate?

I hope this one sticks. Before the one was reassigned, I had a secretary who was fired. 3rd straight Christmas that I've had a new secretary, though the last ones were only a matter of weeks so I got them something small. Should I be giving the normal gift to this one (since it's more like 2-3 months instead of 3 weeks or so), or is something reduced more the norm for this situation?

45 - i second that. it does seem bizarre to give your secretary more than you give your spouse/mom/dad/brother/sister whoever, and $100 per year would often be that. although i will be giving mine something, i don't really get why. the partners we work with don't give us special gifts for doing our work. staff and associates get bonuses from the firm, so why do sec's get more...?

Secretaries who work for firms that do not give year end bonuses would much rather receive cash as opposed to a gift card. It only forces them to shop in a store that they would otherwise not walk into.

As for the rude and disgraceful comments made here concerning secretaries, it only goes to prove what has been said all along about associates - you are a bunch of idiots with chips on your shoulders who should have their mothers and sisters talked about in the same manner. Get over yourselves and start being an adult. You get what you give - especially when it comes to secretaries and the work they are willing to produce for you.

23: what's wrong with getting my bonus in amex cards? if it's a box of them, i won't complain.

52: You have earned a mustache ride for beginning your post with "query."

54 -- but isn't that the point of a gift card? The idea is to force someone to treat themself to something fun/different. Otherwise, they'll just use my money for gas. I'm not interested in buying my secretary gas.

42 & 43: your responses weren't quite what I was looking for (but) bless your barbaric little hearts, they'll do. A nice footnote for my conference presentation on the proliferation of antisocial postings on trade websites.

57 - In these hard economic times, cash is the preferred method of a gift. You may not want your secretary buying gas but at least she/he can use it for purposes that will best benefit her/him. Who cares what they do with the cash, it's suppose to be the thought that counts (as well as showing appreciation if deserved).

46, you give each doorman $100 for each year you've lived in the building. That's what some random Internet poster with no financial sense told me, so you should follow that.

58, the idea is _not_ to make your secretary spend money on something "fun/different" that is less useful than her optimal choice. The idea is to give your secretary some money.

Gift cards are idiotic. Hey, let's convert $100 of cash that can be used anywhere into $100 of store credit that can only be used at one place and may disappear at any point when the store goes bankrupt.

39 - neither your cousin nor the attys she worked for are all that bright. If she was really doing all the work, she should have had the good sense to leave and go some where that would eithe rpay her appropriately or give her a work-load that was commensurate with her salary. To sit there and take it for a decade (!) shows a complete lack of spine and sense of self-worth. Or perhaps she's exaggerating.

As for the attorneys she worked for....really stupid, if they actually let her do so much substantive work. As a non-lawyer, she wasn't subject to discipline for any ethics violations that stemmed from her work...her attorneys were. Attorneys spot and prevent risk for a living, so we tend to be the most risk-averse people alive (other than actuarians). And lawyers are good at nothing if not protecting our own asses. So I find it surprising and slightly unbelievable that a partner would spend 10 years blindly putting so much responsibility on someone who would share in exactly none of the liability that could stem from any problems. For all the secretaries and paralegals who cry "oh but we're just like associates only paid less!" this is a critical difference. The disciplinary rules extend to associates, not paralegals or secretaries.

All of that is to say that I call shenanigans on 39's story.

Regarding gift cards for secretaries, either give VISA/AmEX (which can be used like cash almost everywhere), or ensure it is for a store that your dollar amount is reasonable. In other words, if giving between 100-200, then maybe Macy's. There are a whole group of lawyers in NY who think it is "classy" to give Saks or Barneys gift cards, but those only make any sense if giving at least 400 or so. (Otherwise, the secretary has to chip in her own money just to buy something decent).

I'm not doing anything significant, maybe a card or some candy. I've been at the firm for 3 months, and in that time my secretary has dropped my projects twice (I've used her 4-5 times for pretty minor stuff) because the partner has called her for something. I can understand that the partners take priority, but she didn't make other arrangements for my project, didn't tell me so I could make other plans, nothing. As far as I'm concerned, she should be grateful for that, considering the circumstances.

63 - you're right on the money with your comment.

I always tell my secretary I'm giving her the day off as a Christmas present. Then I notify her supervisor that she left, and she gets fired.

51 -

I hear ya re consumerism of Christmas. But that has nothing to do with this professional courtesy. It is merely a business expense incurred in December, not a gift given in celebration of the savior's birth. Save your indignation over presents for Santa Claus.

And, it's not just in law firms that this goes on. In most professional businesses, the professionals give their employees extra money at Christmas (kinda like your bonus . . . am I making more sense now?). Granted, in biglaw, the secretary is the firm's employee and not yours. I get it. But the tradition remains because you're still the professional and the secretary is still the employee assisting you.

And, this "business expense" is really not enough money to sweat. A $100 AmEx gift card, literally, can be taken care of by putting $2 per week away in your piggy bank. (And, yes, I also have crazy loans, a mortgage, a kid, etc., and understand the value of a dollar, yadda yadda. You can still afford it.)

On the positive side, it's an opportunity to be gracious and show someone - even lower on the totem pool than yourself - that they are appreciated for the work that they do. And even if you don't appreciate their work, it's an opportunity to be a gentleman or a lady by still treating them well despite that.

- 40

Nicely put, 40/67. Truly. I agree with you wholeheartedly. It's staggering that so many people just don't get it.

I bought mine a Hooked on Phonix audio course. It cost over $100. Does that count?

69 - that would have been so much more successful if you had spelled 'phonics' correctly. It's still funny, just at your expense.

" ...and I am not heartened by the fact that everything in law firms has become a commodity exchange, where a secretary will secretly whine to a website run by a fat grammatically challenged liberal haterator to whine about the amex gift card that she was ENTITLED to so that she could buy some meaningless little bullshit thing that would darken her soul further. "
Post of the day.

46&47- I give $50 to each of the doormen I interact frequently with.
Do you give anything to the building manager who handles all the delivery/maintenance people and requestes for repairs?

70- you clearly haven't read teh Ebonixa version
-69

Can i take a tax deduction for my secretary's gift? Would it be as a business expense or a charitable donation?

i'm givin' what I have for the last 3 years:

a weiner sam'ich.

to 46 why don't your door staff know your name? I give $50-$100 to my door staff people (more than 10 total working there) based on how much I like them. They all know my name and I like them all, but some stand out. I just got a brand new secretary maybe a week ago, so i think a $50 AMEX gift card and a holiday card should be sufficient.

What do you get a secretary who does nothing?

I've been silent for too long. This site really has gone downhill. I understand that Lat may be busy doing new things, but I think they really need to consider replacing Elie. This was an amazing site with great traffic--are you really going to let it keep careening downhill? There is a huge opening right now for someone to start the new ATL if the leadership around here doesn't change soon. The novelty of a reality competition to replace the editor obviously was a huge mistake.

I just want my secretary to turn into a sheep for christmas.

Hard to believe you geniuses are getting small (or no) bonuses this year. Were you born this way, or did you learn to become assholes after law school?

@ 78:
Seriously? You bitch about Elie and call for his resignation on the comments of a Kash post? I too hate Elie, but why does Kash get a pass? Does it have something to do with mustache rides?

JD underground pwns ATL

JD underground pwns ATL

74 - no. There is a $25 cap on the deduction of business gifts used to generate goodwill and there is a provision for select employee awards. But a gift is by its nature not an expense (according to the IRS, not the real world) as it is given with detached and disinterested motives.

Question along the same lines as 20 -- what if you're a new associate who has known your assistant for 2 months, and they haven't really done anything for you?

45 here.

"And even if you don't appreciate their work, it's an opportunity to be a gentleman or a lady by still treating them well despite that. "

Trying to take the high road? I appreciate their work, but I'm annoyed that "treating them well" and being a "lady/gentleman" means spending a set amount of money determined by YOU at Christmastime. I treat my secretary well all year round - I don't give her crazy deadlines, I give her decent reviews even if she screws something up for me and I have to fix things myself, and I'm never rude to her. I thank her daily for the things she does for me. She LOVES me. So I resent those who insinuate that I'm not a "lady" because I happen to protest spending more on her than I do on my own, very much loved, family simply because I'm trying to be smart with my money. Am I not "classy" because I think it's silly to spend $100-$200 (not to mention $100/year of practice) than each of my siblings and their spouses and my parents and my nephews and my nieces? Try being classy to your secretary year-round. A small, thoughtful, gift should suffice. This whole thread makes me sick.

Nice pic, Elie. What is up with you and hitting women? Happy OJ got away with murdering his wife, mocking the Michigan student who got smacked around, and now this picture, all in about a week? Go see a shrink.

Nice pic, Elie. What is up with you and hitting women? Happy OJ got away with murdering his wife, mocking the Michigan student who got smacked around, and now this picture, all in about a week? Go see a shrink.

You can't be serious, 87/88. Secretary is a great movie, one you clearly didn't watch if you think the relationship between Lee and Mr. Grey is abusive.

The surveys don't have enough options. Like some other commenters, I'm giving $50 + some generic item like chocolates. I've been at a NY firm only a few months, so I think this is appropriate.

20 & 29, I'm also doing the $50 gift/amex card for the secretary, and perhaps something small & personal along with it. I'm a first year, and she's been wonderful so far, even though I share her with the practice group leader (who is obviously a much higher priority for her). Also getting the paralegals something about $20 each, which is supposedly a tradition in my practice group. Not as thrilled about that, but I don't want to look cheap.

Is a $20 gift or amex card tacky?

$100 per year is not the going rate (although I am sure some would like it to be!). Partners don't give that much, no way do senior associates. In fact, I know some partners that just contribute to the "pool" of a joint gift--and not necessarily more than the others.

The real push point is: Does the secretary do a good job? If yes, associates will likely feel more generous.

And, the comment about wanting it in cash is crass. This is NOT a bonus. It is the job of the firm to pay a salary and a bonus. This is a gift. And in many offices, it is crass to give cash, however much it might be appreciated (seen as the equivalent of tipping someone, rather than a gift of appreciation to someone who has helped you in the past year).

G'damn. I hate this time of year when I wind up shelling out almost $2,500 in after tax earnings. How the heck does everyone else do it?

$400 for secretary (I'm more senior, but I refuse to give more)
$100 for each of 8 doormen,
$200 for building super (he does minor repairs for us),
$200 for building's pool of porters/trash guys
$100 for garage attendant
$100 for dog walker
$100 for personal trainer
$100 for barber
$100 for house cleaner (or else she may steal from me)
$20 for mail-man
$20 for drycleaner (they never break a button)
$10 for office trash lady

G'damn. I hate this time of year when I wind up shelling out almost $2,500 in after tax earnings. How the heck does everyone else do it?

$400 for secretary (I'm more senior, but I refuse to give more)
$100 for each of 8 doormen,
$200 for building super (he does minor repairs for us),
$200 for building's pool of porters/trash guys
$100 for garage attendant
$100 for dog walker
$100 for personal trainer
$100 for barber
$100 for house cleaner (or else she may steal from me)
$20 for mail-man
$20 for drycleaner (they never break a button)
$10 for office trash lady

I'm giving my secretary 100 dollars for each year I have worked for her....

How does one even imagine the words God, Jesus, and blow a goat in a single sentence? Well done my good fellow! I see a future Judge in the making. Supreme Court really!

I've been in Biglaw for a while and can confirm that $100 per year you've been with the firm is complete and utter BS. It is not the NYC standard. I will never, ever tip someone who works for me more than I spend on a Christmas gift for one of my parents or one of my siblings. Sheer lunacy.

What do first year associates do? We've been working for three months. And what about for other staff members. The floor is collecting money for the people who clean bathrooms, etc. and want $30 per associate. Can I give $7.50? Maybe hand in a ten and tell them to keep the change?

1) $150-200 is insane for an associate to be paying on a GIFT. Secretaries get bonuses from the firm. Whatever an associate gives them for Christmas is a polite gift, nothing more. And the "$100 per year the associate has been there" thing (obviously made up by someone standing to benefit) is beyond bizarre.

2) DO NOT give people these "Visa" gift cards. I don't care if its your secretary, your sister or your best friend. You might as well just give someone cash. If we were in asia, that would be fine, but in the U.S. is has ALWAYS been rude/in poor taste to give money, unless you are giving a charitable donation on someone's behalf. Again, this is a gift, NOT a "bonus." The whole point is that you took the time and thoughtfulness to think about what the person on the receiving end would actually want -- hence, showing that you CARE about them!!

I used to give $100 per class year plus a small gift (bodyshop products, chocolates or wine). My secretaries have been ok but by no means great. If I had a "lifesaver" kind of secretary I would have gladly given more. I also gave little presents to the legal assistants and chocolates to other staff (copy room, night assistants, etc.). Sure it's a lot of $$ and I don't spend anywhere near those amounts on my family but nobody in my family cares about the price of their presents anyway.

I always felt that, compared to my salary and bonus, $100 or $200 more or less just isn't that big a difference. I would easily spend these amounts on a night out. So whenever I would think about giving, say, either $300 or $400, at some point I'd just decide to go wtih the higher amount and stop wasting time thinking about it.

Don't know what I'll do this year though-- the economy does make me more stressed out about my job situation. At the same time, the money involved still isn't that much in the great scheme of things and it's significant to my secretary. I might just give the same as last year, it happened to be a nice round amount.

I'm giving mine a nervous T-10 1L. She can do whatever the hell she wants with it.

Former NYC BigLaw legal secretary here. I wish I had seen this or the open thread sooner.
Word gets around, so I would have heard about the $100/year thing. I'm calling BS. I'd usually receive $100-$200 in cash from NSPs and $50-$100 from Associates & Summers (at the end of the summer). I didn't assist any Share Partners, but I believe they tend to give gifts or cash in the $400-$750 range. I also received a firm bonus and a gift (cashmere sweater) from the most senior partner I assisted.
Here are my thoughts in the gift/cash/giftcard debate:
If the firm doesn't give out support staff bonuses, give cash. If you want to give a small gift as well because you feel cash is impersonal, that's very nice of you, but this is their holiday bonus. Give them cash.

If the firm does give out support staff bonuses, you have a little more freedom. Cash and AmEx gift cards are definitely appreciated, but Bloomingdale and Barnes & Noble gift cards can be nice as well. Just be sure the gift card is in a reasonable amount for the store. Also, in all gift-giving situations, consider the recipient. If you don't know what s/he'd like, just give cash.
Lastly, be careful to not send an inappropriate message with a gift, particularly if you are a male or lesiban giving a gift to a female or a female or gay man giving a gift to a man.

102 - No, this is not their bonus. If it were their bonus, it would be (a) paid by the firm, (b) subject to taxes and (c) in cash. Instead, it's a gift that is (a) given by the associate, (b) not subject to taxes and (c) only in cash (or an AmEx gift card) if the associate is terribly gauche.

Last year I worked for 4 attorneys and only 2 of them gave me a gift. The partner gave me nothing and the bothersome counsel gave me nothing (after telling me he would "get to me next week"). I rarely make personal phone calls, rarely leave my desk to socialize, have excellent skills, always e-mail phone messages, great at document production, proficient with all the current, changing software (often having to instruct others on how to use the new software), point out and correct mistakes and still wind up with what I consider to be cheap and unappreciative people at the end of the year (as well as what used to be Secretaries Day). Go figure. Yes, the firm does give me a bonus; however, a personal gift at the end of the year would be indicative of some appreciation for my work. No one ever tells me "great work" or "thanks a lot for catching that mistake" or "I really appreciate your helping me". What ever happened to good manners and civility?

I work for a partner and several associates. It's getting to the point where the associates are close to giving as much as the partner which is crazy since the partners receive hefty bonuses at the end of each year. Although my partner does give me cash every year (which is greatly appreciated) the associates continue to give gift cards to places I do not shop in or wish to shop in. My firm does not give bonuses to the secretaries so we would much rather receive a cash gift than a gift card. Most of us end up selling them to others at a discount just to get the cash.

As my secretary's gift this year I will consider taking the paternity test.

103 - I apologize. This is their equivalent of a bonus if they don't receive one from the firm.

I also meant to add that gifts are gifts and are never required. My advice was meant for those who have already decided to give but were unsure what or how much to give.

Lastly, according to Peggy Post, cash is a perfectly acceptable gift. I don't know why you feel the need to insult others. If the giver knows the recipient will appreciate the gift, that's all that matters.

-102

I don't think that people here have a realistic view of what partners (most of them, anyway) are giving. I have yet to work with one who gives less than $1000. And he's considered quite cheap if that's what he gives.

A note about AmEx cards - they charge a fee. Stick to cash. Seriously.

98: If that's how you feel about it, don't give anything. No one will miss your ten-spot, Big Spender. I hope you're not working on my floor. I gave $20, and I'm just a secretary. I'm pretty sure that my salary isn't double yours. Seriously, keep the money. You may need it someday.

At my firm, if you started in the fall, it's $100. Not sure about other associates. People who thought that was a little much were told they're cheap. Happy holidays.

I gave my secretary $250 in a card this afternoon and she didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. I take it this was not enough.

-biglaw fourth year

As a legal sec'y for over 20 years, I appreciate any GIFT (especially cash) from my partner/associate. It is a gift and never expected and, lucky for me, they are 100 times more generous than what I've seen on this thread. I am lucky BUT i would appreciate even $200. Some people will be ungrateful no matter how much they are given!

As a legal sec'y for over 20 years, I appreciate any GIFT (especially cash) from my partner/associate. It is a gift and never expected and, lucky for me, they are 100 times more generous than what I've seen on this thread. I am lucky BUT i would appreciate even $200. Some people will be ungrateful no matter how much they are given!

As a legal sec'y for over 20 years, I appreciate any GIFT (especially cash) from my partner/associate. It is a gift and never expected and, lucky for me, they are 100 times more generous than what I've seen on this thread. I am lucky BUT i would appreciate even $200. Some people will be ungrateful no matter how much they are given!

Dear Secy's:

Since some of you seem to be reading this post. Please keep in mind that IRC § 102(c) requires you to pay income tax on your holiday "bonus" or "gift." Cause honestly, the IRS knows that this gift isn't disinterested and is motivated by your employee status. So, keep whining about what you deserve, but don't forget it is TAXABLE INCOME!!!

Dear Secy's:

Since some of you seem to be reading this post. Please keep in mind that IRC § 102(c) requires you to pay income tax on your holiday "bonus" or "gift." Cause honestly, the IRS knows that this gift isn't disinterested and is motivated by your employee status. So, keep whining about what you deserve, but don't forget it is TAXABLE INCOME!!!

I've never heard of such a ridiculous concept. The firm gives these mostly useless cows a bonus. If they don't get one then I don't think any attorney should feel the least bit obligated to give them anything. What a joke!!

Hey 117 - we "useless cows" will still have our jobs long after your miserable ass is shoved out the door. What have you got planned for your second career?

I despise my secretary ... all she does is make my life difficult... she is lazy, rude, incompetent and useless... my firm is a welfare state where even horrible, underperforming staff is kept on indefinitely... My secretary gets apoplectic if I give her more than one thing to do at a time... I say, if she sucks,,, don't give her anything... I gave mine some wine and chocolate... I hope she chokes on both