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Bonus Pay Non-Negotiables: Three principles for designing a bonus program
Explore three core principles of bonuses and variable compensation that will help you design — or redesign — your company’s bonus program.
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Tariffs Broke a Lot of Bonus Goals. Discretion Patches Them for Executives, Not for Employees.
Pay Governance describes how tariffs broke 2025-2026 incentive goals, and how boards use discretion to fix them. That works for executives. For employee bonus plans, discretion is the wrong tool — here is what to do instead.
5–8 minutes -
Benchmarking Tells You What to Pay. Transparency Tests Whether Your Bonus Plan Makes Sense.
Gallagher makes the case for industry-targeted benchmarking and defensible, sector-aligned pay data in 2026. We push it one layer past the salary band: benchmarking sets your bonus target, but transparency tests whether the plan delivering it makes sense to the person earning it.
5–7 minutes -
When to Reset Incentive Goals—and When to Keep Them
As commodity prices continue to fluctuate wildly, experts are weighing in on what should trigger a bonus target reset and what shouldn’t.
5–8 minutes -
Quarterly Bonuses: Do they fix the short-term incentive pay problem?
The timing of bonus payouts is a very visible part of your plan design. Here’s five things to consider before you change your payout schedule to quarterly.
5–8 minutes -
AI is Redefining Job Families Faster Than Bonus Plans Can Keep Up
AI is re-shaping job descriptions in real time, while many bonus plans quietly assume jobs stay the same for a year. Here’s what to do about it.
6–8 minutes -
Flexible Goal-Setting Protects the Plan—if there is Line of Sight for Employees
WTW just laid out five strategies for keeping incentive plans flexible in volatile markets — but will they work beyond the executive comp committee?
5–8 minutes -
If Your Bonus Plan is Broken, No Recognition Platform Will Save You
Employee engagement tools depend on a strong compensation foundation. Even the most thoughtful engagement initiatives will falter if your bonus plans are broken.
4–6 minutes -
When ‘Target’ Becomes the Floor, You Don’t Really Have a Bonus Plan
Here’s why “at or above target” is a sign your short-term incentive plan has stopped working — and how to recalibrate.
5–8 minutes -
When Base Pay Flattens, Your Bonus Plan Is Doing All the Work
New research finds that only 48% of organizations will tie pay increases to performance this year. Can you bonus program handle the extra stress?
5–7 minutes -
Changing a Bonus Goal Mid-Year Is Almost Always the Wrong Answer
A closer look at the challenges of adjusting executive compensation goals mid-cycle while maintaining trust and flexibility in employee bonus plans.
5–8 minutes -
Rebalancing a Bonus Plan Is the Right Instinct. Here’s What It Misses.
Instead of cutting bonus programs altogether, try rebalancing compensation strategies during economic uncertainty—like a financial portfolio.
5–8 minutes -
Incentive Pay in the News: Q1 2026 Roundup
Employee expectations remain high amid economic uncertainties. And the best solution is “peanut butter raises”? Let’s get into it.
3–5 minutes