This is a really good point and I'm actually familiar with the concept. It avoids profitable departments dragging along unprofitable ones in a large corp for extended periods of time (Pretty sure BCE is a good example of this).
So I can agree that handing out bonuses to a successful department while the rest of the company drags the entire bottom line down can be a very good thing.
However, here you have an unsuccessful business deciding to use their bailout money to keep who they believe are talented around by handing out bonuses. This reeks of mismanagement. There do exists companies that have tightened up their spending a great deal at the moment. Letting their employees know that they don't have extra coin to throw at them right now.
If you are a crazy talented banker, and have confidence in the company you work for, and agree that they deserved to be bailed out, then you wouldn't take a big bonus. You would rather it goes back into the business so you could gain higher returns down the road (like long term employment and future real bonuses).
On the other hand, if you are a crazy talented banker, and you have no confidence in your company succeeding, then you're probably going to take that bonus because you know you'll never see it again anyways.
So I can agree that handing out bonuses to a successful department while the rest of the company drags the entire bottom line down can be a very good thing.
However, here you have an unsuccessful business deciding to use their bailout money to keep who they believe are talented around by handing out bonuses. This reeks of mismanagement. There do exists companies that have tightened up their spending a great deal at the moment. Letting their employees know that they don't have extra coin to throw at them right now.
If you are a crazy talented banker, and have confidence in the company you work for, and agree that they deserved to be bailed out, then you wouldn't take a big bonus. You would rather it goes back into the business so you could gain higher returns down the road (like long term employment and future real bonuses).
On the other hand, if you are a crazy talented banker, and you have no confidence in your company succeeding, then you're probably going to take that bonus because you know you'll never see it again anyways.