Best time to quit- After CNY?

[madhawan]

Ok, so Chinese new year is fast approaching and I got some questions regarding 年終(CNY bonus) and when to quit.
I have been working in my present company for nearly a year and half. I have given interviews in other companies and hopefully, I have got a prospective new employer willing to hire me and expects me to join the company say in between next year March/April.

My present company will give me some New Year bonus (年終) and obviously, after working my ass for one year it would be stupid not to collect it. However, Coming back to work after the Chinese new year vacation and the very first thing to inform your boss that I would be leaving also doesn’t sound reasonable.In fairness, This company does treat me well and I am sure they would be sad and surprised to hear my decision. More over, I am not sure how well would this go considering that I am leaving just a month after I have collected my Bonus. I am not sure how are these things handled in Taiwan.

Is it considered normal to leave after collecting your bonuses? Or am I expected to inform my boss before I receive my bonus? The simple reason I do not want to inform my boss before I receive the bonus is since I am not sure how would he react? What if they decide to cut my bonus or in the worst case, not give any.
Advice please?

[Doraemonster]

@madhawan

Is it considered normal to leave after collecting your bonuses?

Yeah. At least that’s what many people do anyway. It’s also a good time to look for a job, for the same reason.

It used to be pretty common for businesses to fire employees at this time as well. The tradition is known as “the ruthless chicken” (source, better version in Chinese):

@Wikipedia

In the old Taiwanese culture, there will be a boiled chicken dish in the Weiya banquet, if the employer decided not to keep hiring an employee in the coming year, they will use the chicken head of the dish, face to that employee as a hint to the employee that they might be fired.

@Chinese Wikipedia

尾牙還有一個有趣的習俗，倘若公司決定在新的一年解僱某位員工，在尾牙的宴會上，會把菜餚中雞的嘴指向他（或由老闆親自將一塊雞夾到某位員工的飯碗中），讓他有被開除的心理準備。所以尾牙的雞叫作「無情雞」。台語俗話稱，「食頭牙捻嘴鬚，食尾牙面憂憂」（頭牙聚餐捻著鬍鬚大快朵頤，尾牙聚餐時就只能露出無奈的表情）。而近年來，由於勞工權益抬頭，勞資雙方都希望能有一個較和諧的關係，所以「尾牙聚餐」時，一般都會將「雞頭」朝上，以免雞嘴指向任何一位員工。

[the_bear]

Your bonus is part of your salary package. Don’t get conned into thinking it is extra. Taiwan companies have a 13 month salary cycle. So unless its more than one month, forget about it. Taiwanese will respect you for bettering your prospects so don’t feel guilty. If you are a valuable asset they might offer you a raise. I was offered an 80% raise once to keep me in a job. But yeah, don’t think twice. Likewise your annual leave accrued. You earned that leave in the previous year so you are entitled to either take it or encash it. Even if you give notice on Jan 2.

[madhawan]

@the bear

Your bonus is part of your salary package. Don’t get conned into thinking it is extra. Taiwan companies have a 13 month salary cycle. So unless its more than one month, forget about it. Taiwanese will respect you for bettering your prospects so don’t feel guilty. If you are a valuable asset they might offer you a raise. I was offered an 80% raise once to keep me in a job. But yeah, don’t think twice. Likewise your annual leave accrued. You earned that leave in the previous year so you are entitled to either take it or encash it. Even if you give notice on Jan 2.

Thanks so much for your advice, What do you think is the best way to deal with this? Should I tell my boss directly that I am leaving since I found a new job or saying something like medical reason or going back to home would be better? The only thing i worry is that I do not want to our relationship to finish on a negative because of this. Thanks

[headhonchoII]

Dont tell them you are leaving till after CNY and you have the bonus in hand. Leaving after getting the bonus is standard procedure.