In the business world, there is no difference between guaranteed and owed. It's actually pretty bad and scary that you would be giving somebody else financial advice given your obvious complete lack of logical skills. My advice to bluefrog is to do some more research into how the bonus program is structured to see if there is a issuance date at which a bonus becomes official and guaranteed. Start there and move forward from that point.
Yes, but now that it's been earned and he knows he's getting one, it's now owed to him........ unless he resigns beforehand. Which is why he should wait until he has the bonus in hand. Which is what I've been saying all along. Which is exactly what Denny's posted link (and most everyone else's opinions have been). Don't be so butthurt that nobody agrees with you. Even people who answer questions on these very topics for a living.
This isn't even the scenario. He's asking if he should give a 2-week notice before the bonus is paid. There is a difference between a resignation and a 2-week notice.
All I've said is that the bonus is being paid on past performance. He's earned it, and he's going to get it, unless he gives notice. Therefore, he should wait to give notice until after he receives the bonus. It wouldn't be immoral on his part to take such a route, since he's being compensated based on past performance he provided the company. That's all I've said. I don't know why that's so complicated for you to understand. And it appears everyone else, including the author in Denny's link, agrees. This coming from the guy who made his appearance into this thread by asking how any of us can answer this without knowing the size of the bonus.... as if that were the end-all, be-all in this decision.
This is the part that is in question. If the bonus is guaranteed, and "owed" as you say it is, then he'll get it whether he gives notice or not. A notice is nothing but a courtesy. It isn't required and he could give a 3-minute notice if he wants to. And you're trying to answer a different question. You're giving your opinion on whether it is immoral or not. I'm answering to give him the best chance to get money that he can have access to. It's not complicated for people that understand there is nothing magical about a 2-week notice. He could easily collect the bonus and just wait until the last day to just walk out, unless there is something written in the bonus program prohibiting such a thing. You don't understand what you're talking about, and you certainly don't know the details about his bonus structure, yet you spout off like you somehow have the answers. It is certainly where the discussion should start. If the bonus is only a couple thousand dollars, it isn't even worth worrying about or the stress. And certainly isn't worth taking bad advice from you on a web forum.
I don't have time for your jibber-jabber. Don't be so butthurt. Everything I've said is what everyone else has said, as well as the guy who writes on this topic for a living. If you can't understand it, nobody can explain it to you. So you should just give up. As for the amount.... not everyone lives baller status like you. I'm sure most all posters on this board would find a couple thousand dollars to worthwhile, Mr. 1%er. The only bad advice would be to take the approach of "fuck it" and give notice before the bonus in hand. Get that bonus and then give notice - that's the best advice (and again, that's exactly what the article says). And if you can't understand that, then nobody can help you out. Sorry dude.
From people at work that I trust and have asked it sounds like there is no point that the bonus becomes official aside from the actual time it is deposited into my account. I didn't know this was possible. An employer can take money back from you after it's been deposited in your bank account? How does that work?
Some of the fine print on my bonus notification: "Under the terms of these plans or programs, there may be circumstances where all or a portion of these equity and/or cash base awards which are granted may not ultimately be settled, including but not limited to, your voluntary termination or violation of certain other conditions to settlement."
A lawyer might cost you $250 to get a definitive answer. I wouldn't trust me or anyone else that you don't know is fully qualified to give you this kind of advice. Someone qualified to read that sort of legaleze...
Point b is mostly false/limited. Once it's in your account and cleared, they can't pull it back. The bank cannot legally pull it back. And direct deposits, when approved by an employer with ample cash flow, go through almost immediately. That'd be fraud by your employer and the bank can't legally do anything once it clears (for direct deposit, typically within hours of it being in your account even if they don't have ample cash flow). Furthermore, the single biggest thing the IRS takes issue with (with respect to businesses) is fucking with employee compensation.
Two Weeks notice is a standard of courtesy. It is not required. There is no such thing in law or in employment contracts (except in very unusual circumstances). Some employers walk certain employees out the door when a resignation is offered (paying them for the two weeks notice offered - with unused vacation/sick if available). Many employees do not provide two weeks notice. If you choose to provide less than two weeks, you will not be alone. If you already have a new job, then you are less concerned about a stellar reference. You will have to decide if a future stellar reference is worth giving up such a large bonus for. However, you have no guarantee that providing a two week notice will give you a stellar reference. There are many other reasons you could get a neutral or negative reference in the future. Commonly, companies instruct their managers to provide no information on past employees other than dates of employment, title and maybe confirmation of compensation. If this is the case for your current company, you have little self-interest in giving up something so valuable as a yearly bonus. I would strongly consider witholding the resignation until you have the bonus in your account. If you are embarassed, you can always fib a bit and say at the time of your resignation; "I only now got absolute confirmation of the new hire. I begged them to give me two weeks, but they insist I start in X days."
It's kinda funny. It's like, standard protocol says he should give two weeks notice. It is the right thing to do as an employee. But, at the same time, you earned your bonus based on past performance. Despite this being earned in the past, the bonus entices employees to perform in the future (in an effort to earn another bonus at some future date). Despite the fact the bonus coming up is based on the prior year, if he gives notice prior to collecting the bonus, do you think the company would say, "Thanks for a great year - we'll give you your bonus anyway!" Not likely. As long as an employee isn't doing anything illegal, he should put his own interests first. Employers operate with their interests first. Besides, as someone else pointed out, if you're going to a competitor, as soon as you give notice, they will probably let you go long before the two weeks are up. When I resigned at my former employer, they kept me my full two weeks (and tried to get me to re-consider). But every other employee that resigned, even if my employers wanted them to stay, cut them 2-3 days after they gave notice.
