I received a 2.5 performance rating that my manager told me “had to round down to a 2 due to a new policy”. Has anyone else been told about this “round down” policy? And then I was told I will not receive anything for a bonus payout because of my rating. I’ve been here for years and this is my first time ever getting a 2, so want to see if any of this sounds normal or if I should be taking to HR
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Yeah agreed. There are other things that factor into comp cycle merit and bonus besides the rating. If you have people who are underpaid on the team, you end up with those people getting more merit % in many cases if the higher performer is already above midpoint.
This is the problem that happens when you have long term solid performers getting their normal merit increases but the pay scale and mid point for the same position with new hires ends up being way higher due to market conditions. A good manager will seek off cycle adjustmentents for the whole team, and then they can award merit increases in a way that makes more sense. But of course you’ll have to be-doverbackwards to get the off cycle increases.
Agree that 2.5 rating does not exist. I have direct reports and that is not an option. FYI even at a 3 or even a 4 (yes, it’s true) you are not guaranteed 100% of bonus target or target amount of restricted stock if applicable. And commenter was right that to compensate someone above 100% one or more others must get below.
There is no such thing as a 2.5. Ratings are whole integers only. Some organizations have their own way of fitting people to the curve and might call things 2.5, but it doesn't really exist.
What your manager really did is in his mind rated you below others they believed were 3s and then his manager told him they need more 2s. Performance is not in a vacuum, its relative to others. There will never be a year where there are a lot of 4s and 5s because ratings need to fit the curve where about 75% of people are 3s some are 4s and 2s, even fewer are 5s, and I've never heard of a 1 because you should be fired if you are a 1.
As for if you get a bonus on a 2. I don't believe there is a company policy that states that, but it is how my org handles it. If you are a 2 you get no bonus, no lti, and your merit is capped at 1%.
Realize also that your manager doesn't give you a raise or a bonus, they only suggest those numbers. Their manager can change those numbers and their manager can change them again. It keeps going up the chain until at least a tower lead that is the budget owner. You can go to HR, but realize that after that chain of managers finalizes and submits the comp statements, it goes to HR for final approval. In other words, HR already signed off on it.
And to correct a comment I saw here, ratings do affect merit AND bonus. Every manager gets funding equal to 3% of their employees salary regardless of their rating. There is a band around 3% they can give you, let's say it's 2.5 to 3.5. If you get a 4 that band goes up, let's say its 2.75 to 3.75. In order to give higher merit to the 4, they must lower the merit of the 3s. Thats fair because the 4 deserves to be compensated.
Similarly, your manager gets a bonus budget equal to 100% of your bonus. Again, that bonus must be distributed based on ratings. There is a bit of a robbinhood effect in the HR guidelines of giving lower percent increases to highly compensated individuals to be able to afford giving higher percent increases to lower paid individuals. I don't think most managers follow that guideline, but it exists.
I'm so disgusted listening to what this company is doing behind the scenes to save money. Definitely do the bare minimum, they can't fire you for that. They may lay you off, which is the better option, of course. I hate working for a company like this one.
What? Someone wanna let people know that the Saudis fund the administration's in laws HMO?
@nw that’s my plan I need to have a job - I won’t quit you’ll have to lay off first so I can get a severance. Planning to look around while I start saving.
Reports from the Q1 2026 Townhall indicate the company generated nearly $300 million in 2025 revenue. A portion of these earnings was allocated to 'America’s Party Celebration and WH Ballroom Construction' as a strategic move to strengthen ties with the current administration. To offset these costs, the company implemented layoffs and eliminated bonuses for general staff, while Executive compensation remained unaffected.
@n5 Do not Quit. Hang in there. No point of fighting for a few thousands of dollars. Think about this way. It is a learning opportunity. Upskill yourself and look for better opportunities. In the meantime, save money in an emergency fund.
@g6
this is how the game is played. they wont say anything in your 1:1s throughout the year. only at the review time they throw you under the bus and come up with all the lame excuses.
Same exact thing happened to me. 2 with no bonus and no warning. Always good reviews.
Is there anything we can do? Or is this something we have to just accept? Feel like quitting today.
Aetna here. The bonuses and salaries made no sense this year. They definitely lowered it all for us bottom feeders. Really greedy company.
@dn I believe the term is Quiet Quitting, doing only what is required e.g. 15 pieces of flair
@g6 that’s the part I’m mad about. There was no indication of this at all. Mid year review was good and getting told what to do and getting praised in meetings. It was a total shock and honestly insulting.
Wow. This is unbelievable! I also got a 2 rating even though manager kept telling me that I am doing great and worked so hard and achieved all goals and exceeded expectations!
There is really something shady going on and they are giving great bonus amounts to their favorites and relatives!
I no longer work for CVS, but this may be more broader than just here. Where I am now, the phrase is market salary range. Basically if you are above the median and above a certain percent above that median, no raise. If you received a 3 or above, then you did get a bonus, otherwise no.
At another company in the same line of business, raises also were not given, less than 1k if they were and this was in IT.
Tell us we're on the next round of layoffs without telling us. The sad part is ...is that none of it is based on merit or accomplishments.
Where at Aetna? Looks like the rating scale is downshifted to enforce an allocated bonus pool, ensuring the favorites get their piece.
Giving 2, no merit increase, no bonus means they are expecting you to "Quite Quit". Do NOT "Quit". Hang on as long as you can. Save money in an Emergency Fund.
@da I’m at Aetna, so seems like they are pulling this across the board
@da I’m in cvs
Is this specific to Aetna, Caremark, Retail, or all of CVS Health? Zero transparency on any of this process.
@d6 yes - just had mine today. Rated a 2 - $0 bonus
@d6
This is turning more mysterious as the years go by. The higher‑ups are just playing games when it comes to bonuses and salary hikes. They don’t care how someone really feels after working hard all year, and when bonus time comes, they just come up with their own rules. The rating system is all B.S.; they could at least give you around 60% even if it’s on the lower side. We need to escalate this to leadership and the ethics committee to get some transparency on this process
Is this accurate? Previous years a 2 rating still meant bonus eligibility. I find it hard to believe a 2.5 is 0% , while a 3.0 is full
Same - got rated a 2 because of comparing to other people at my title. $0 for a bonus when it should have been around $24K. Absolutely blindsided and shocked.
Like i said in another post...they sc--wed us again. Never heard of rounding down.
I’m an IC now and haven’t had direct reports for long enough that I can’t remember exactly how it works. But I’d assume that even if you go to HR, they’re going to stand by the rating your manager gave you and their leadership approved, regardless of if he’s telling you the truth about not having a choice but to round down or not.
Also, I was rated a 2 a few years ago and still received a small percentage of my bonus. So unless things have changed, a 2 doesn’t absolutely preclude you from getting any bonus, but it’s ultimately at managements discretion.
Why can't your manager Round Up to 3 instead of Round Down to 2? Rating 2 only affects the Salary increments Not the Bonus Payout.