A bonus is a financial compensation that is above and beyond the normal payment expectations of its recipient. Bonuses may be awarded by a company as an incentive or to reward good performance. Typical incentive bonuses a company can give employees include signing, referral, and retention bonuses.
Companies usually give annual bonuses when the organization has a successful year. For some companies, annual bonuses are a guarantee, though the amount may differ from year to year depending on the company's profits. Other companies only distribute annual bonuses after a particularly successful year.