About the fatwa

Date :

Fri, May 22 2015

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Question

His company gives its employees a Christmas bonus

I live in the u.s. and am employed with a retail clothing company that has two end-of-year traditions effecting its employees. 1. Issuance of a "christmas" bonus in an amount determined by salary and company sales performance. 2. An allotment of $50 to be used for, or towards a "holiday" meal of their choosing. Are these actions considered unacceptable gifts?.
Answer
Answer
Praise be to Allaah.

 

There is nothing wrong with a company giving its employees bonuses or gifts, whether in the form of cash, coupons or specific gifts. But if the gift is connected to Christmas and is a kind of celebration or congratulations on the occasion of that festival, it is not permissible to accept it, because it is a kind of honouring their festivals and approving of them, and helping them in their falsehood. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 82860. 

There is nothing wrong with the employee eating at the restaurant chosen by the company so long as there are no evils involved that the employee cannot denounce or remove, such as drinking alcohol, music, dancing and so on, in which case it is not permissible for him to go there unless he is compelled to do so. 

And Allah knows best.

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