The last chance technique to improve the state of your 2025 bonus

As a senior banker, I can tell you that it is almost too late for you to make any difference to your 2025 bonus at a US bank. 

By the end of next week, everything will have been finalised. There will be almost no opportunity to change it.

Right now, however, there is still one small thing that you can do.

If you received a poor appraisal this year and were assigned a low score as a result, you must spend this weekend assembling a written case as to why this was wrong and unfair.

First thing Monday morning, you must send this as an email to your boss. 

In this way, you will place yourself back in the game.

Banks are crude places, driven by politics and regulation. If you create a paper trail complaining about your ranking by your manager, it will remain on file. As bonuses are finalised, it may require consideration. And even if it is not considered this time, it can be used to build a case for systematic unfair treatment at the hands of your manager. 

Ideally, this is a course of action that needs to be taken as soon as the appraisal has been completed. However, it is not too late to you play this card. You just need to do it very soon.

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