Money Matters
bobodclown99
member
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Quit after bonus dilemma
I signed an offer letter to begin a new job after the new year. Bonuses at my current employer usually occur at the end of November but the owner gives them out whenever he feels like it. I want to resign early in December to work with the company to find a replacement and aid in the transition (I have an important role) to the extent possible but I know there is no way I will get a bonus once I hand in my resignation. Should I wait until I can give the standard two weeks notice hoping to get the bonus in the interim? I suppose I am weighing responsibility to the company vs. money due I have earned.
Re: Quit after bonus dilemma
Thanks for the advice. For brevity, I expressed my dilemma but not all my concerns. I don't have a clue if they'd even want me to stay on after I submit my resignation. I could be out that day! I can go a few weeks but not a whole month (I don't want to dip into my savings and investments).
Not sure about the comments regarding maintaining my honor and integrity. If they were to get rid of me, I suspect they would have already hired someone to replace me rather than keep me on for a month to help with the transition. There is no question my efforts during my tenure have lead to a strong bottom line each year. Still, it does seem in bad taste to accept a bonus then submit a resignation.
I will give it two weeks and, if no bonus is coming, I'll just have to leave it.
I can understand the frustration but I also disagree. As a mother of two, returning to work after my maternity leaves was the hardest thing I did. I wanted to return but it didn't make it any easier. My employer was not able to legally ask me if I was going to return.
One previous coworker said throughout her pregnancy that she had no desire to be a stay at home mom, loved her job and wanted a career. After returning to work and crying daily for two weeks and struggling to focus on work, she put her notice in. Her boss asked if she would stay on part time until a replacement was found. It worked out fine for everyone.
I know some women plan to do this but many don't.
As for the maternity leave notice convo, giving notice the minute you return to work is just wrong. (I'm a parent, who works full time) At my work, you must come back to work for at least 30 days or you have to pay back all benefits paid for you during leave, like medical dental etc. Mom's that take paid leave and have no plan to come back really piss me off as a working Mom. It gives employers reason to not give great leave benefits if people work the system like that.
I think the comments were in reference to this from your original post: "I suppose I am weighing responsibility to the company vs. money due I have earned."
A bonus is never "due." And it's only earned if the company decides to 1) give out bonuses that year and 2) give a bonus to you. There really should be no expectation that you will get one.
I agree that it's in bad taste to wait for a bonus and then submit a resignation. At my previous job, we had a girl go out on 3 months maternity leave on FULL pay and then submit her two weeks' notice the day she returned. She clearly intended to stay at home after having her baby, but she wanted to get another 3 months of pay from our firm for "free," since she was not working/billing while on leave. It rubbed everybody in the office the wrong way. I think I view taking a bonus and then immediately resigning as a similar thing. You should absolutely be paid for the work you do until the day you are gone, but bonuses are not something that any employee is entitled to. I can understand the frustration but I also disagree. As a mother of two, returning to work after my maternity leaves was the hardest thing I did. I wanted to return but it didn't make it any easier. My employer was not able to legally ask me if I was going to return. One previous coworker said throughout her pregnancy that she had no desire to be a stay at home mom, loved her job and wanted a career. After returning to work and crying daily for two weeks and struggling to focus on work, she put her notice in. Her boss asked if she would stay on part time until a replacement was found. It worked out fine for everyone. I know some women plan to do this but many don't. I know I'm not a parent, and I know that plans change. This woman, however, literally turned in her notice the moment she walked in the door on her day back. She could have done it at any time during her leave if she initially planned to return to work and then changed her mind while she was home. She also could have given it an honest try (like your coworker did) if she really planned on continuing to work and just couldn't bring herself to do it after a short time. That's not what happened, though - it was pretty obviously planned, and OP's initial post sounded like she was thinking about doing something similar: delay giving notice until you've pocketed the money, then resign the very next day.
The perception in the office was not a good one. It really felt like she took the firm for a ride with the way it all went down, and people absolutely made comments about it.
I just think that people need to be honest with their employers when they know what their plans are going to be, instead of trying to work the system.
To be clear. A paid maternity leave is a benefit provided by an employer. A performance bonus although at the discretion of the employer, is earned by an employee through their performance during a period of time preceding the distribution of the bonus.