Biglaw Very Low Bonus for Pregnant Associate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Market is down for high end legal services. Many firms held the line on qualifying. Some only paid half of the associates a bonus.

If OP made her original statement, read the responses it generated, then came up with this:

“ The ‘joke’ is only on my firm in the sense that they recently gave me work on a bunch of annoying matters—including one for a super annoying client who barely pays the bill…”

She is not delivering high end legal services.

The most revealing thing to me from my time in biglaw is that the biggest companies get to stiff their lawyers. The WORST client I ever worked for is a national bank that we represented for huge important work. The best clients were always little guys.

The lesson I learned from that is don’t work for a huge bank of other fortune 100. Which is why I don’t!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The “joke” is on you. They got to pay you less, signaling your lack of value in up or out, and you are indeed leaving!

You're doing what they wanted you to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Market is down for high end legal services. Many firms held the line on qualifying. Some only paid half of the associates a bonus.

Really? Not in big law anymore, but from grapevine, I heard there was just a salary bump and associates with the right skills are getting recruitment bonuses. OP was able to jump for a reason. There is demand.

The above is true at some firms, combined with stealth layoffs elsewhere. Weird combo market.

Congrats on the baby, OP. And the new gig.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a senior associate at a biglaw firm. I am also pregnant. This year my firm gave me only a very small bonus (like smaller than the first years get). I did just miss the criteria to get the BIG bonus, but in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.

I suspect that the reason the firm got cheap on my bonus is that they think I can’t move anywhere while I’m pregnant. BUT—jokes on them—I have another job lined up. I am about to give notice. Should I be honest about my suspicion about the reason for my low bonus, or should I just move on?

OP - I promise you that your firm did not stiff you on your bonus because you're pregnant. I promise.

They stiffed you because you didn't hit your targets. If you're a mid or senior associate not hitting hours, that's the writing on the wall to the firm that you're not going to make partner -- which means the firm is already shifting to the mindset that they don't need to try and retain you. Nothing to do with your pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a senior associate at a biglaw firm. I am also pregnant. This year my firm gave me only a very small bonus (like smaller than the first years get). I did just miss the criteria to get the BIG bonus, but in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.

I suspect that the reason the firm got cheap on my bonus is that they think I can’t move anywhere while I’m pregnant. BUT—jokes on them—I have another job lined up. I am about to give notice. Should I be honest about my suspicion about the reason for my low bonus, or should I just move on?

OP - I promise you that your firm did not stiff you on your bonus because you're pregnant. I promise.

They stiffed you because you didn't hit your targets. If you're a mid or senior associate not hitting hours, that's the writing on the wall to the firm that you're not going to make partner -- which means the firm is already shifting to the mindset that they don't need to try and retain you. Nothing to do with your pregnancy.

Well, she did say “in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.”. Why do you think she was treated differently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a senior associate at a biglaw firm. I am also pregnant. This year my firm gave me only a very small bonus (like smaller than the first years get). I did just miss the criteria to get the BIG bonus, but in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.

I suspect that the reason the firm got cheap on my bonus is that they think I can’t move anywhere while I’m pregnant. BUT—jokes on them—I have another job lined up. I am about to give notice. Should I be honest about my suspicion about the reason for my low bonus, or should I just move on?

OP - I promise you that your firm did not stiff you on your bonus because you're pregnant. I promise.

They stiffed you because you didn't hit your targets. If you're a mid or senior associate not hitting hours, that's the writing on the wall to the firm that you're not going to make partner -- which means the firm is already shifting to the mindset that they don't need to try and retain you. Nothing to do with your pregnancy.

Well, she did say “in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.”. Why do you think she was treated differently?

Possible explanations:
- softening economy or soft industry
- change in firm policy to offset recent associate payraises
- change in firm policy as an expense cutting measure
- change in firm policy to focus on retaining star performers
- bonuses for senior associates are a lot more than they are for junior associates, so the firm doesn't hand them out for senior associates who don't make their hours
- OP had already been identified as an underperformer and the firm didn't feel the need to offer retention level comp
- any senior associate not making hours is clearly not on track for partner, so the early they voluntarily leave, the better - so might as well start putting the wrench on the compensation

I've been party to compensation discussions for years. It's mostly just a spreadsheet that churns out a calculation. Comp committee is not taking each associate's personal circumstances or performance into account, unless something super significant sets them apart. And you can be sure as heck that the factor they've decided to take into account isn't "pregnancy". It's a law firm. They're not idiots.

[Anonymous]

OP since you already have a new job; why don’t you see if you can up your bonus by threatening to sue for discrimination? It’s easy to prove if others earned more in the same situation, but you got dinged for or while being preggo

I’m sick and tired of people being harsh on women

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a senior associate at a biglaw firm. I am also pregnant. This year my firm gave me only a very small bonus (like smaller than the first years get). I did just miss the criteria to get the BIG bonus, but in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.

I suspect that the reason the firm got cheap on my bonus is that they think I can’t move anywhere while I’m pregnant. BUT—jokes on them—I have another job lined up. I am about to give notice. Should I be honest about my suspicion about the reason for my low bonus, or should I just move on?

Just leave. You are not nearly as important as you think you are. Most of the senior partners neither know or care that you are pregnant. Your low bonus was calculated on your lack of peformance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a senior associate at a biglaw firm. I am also pregnant. This year my firm gave me only a very small bonus (like smaller than the first years get). I did just miss the criteria to get the BIG bonus, but in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.

I suspect that the reason the firm got cheap on my bonus is that they think I can’t move anywhere while I’m pregnant. BUT—jokes on them—I have another job lined up. I am about to give notice. Should I be honest about my suspicion about the reason for my low bonus, or should I just move on?

It sounds like you have experience not making hours before. Is it possible you're now a repeat low biller and their policy is to give larger discounts to those who repeatedly don't make their hours? I have no idea, but I was always far over the minimum (~2300 hours), even the year I was pregnant with a toddler at home. It was completely miserable, but I did it.

[Anonymous]

OP sounds entitled. Underperforms and expects a huge bonus.

[Anonymous]

You didn’t make the top bonus hours and you still expect to get 75% of that bonus? At a time when expensive senior associates are getting laid off across Big Law?

GTFOOH.

[Anonymous]

Hit your numbers, get your bonus. Don’t hit your numbers and you’re at the mercy of the higher ups.

This isn’t going to be a lesson only applicable to law firms.

[Anonymous]

If it gives OP any comfort, my DH got a very low bonus for two years in a row when he was a non-equity partner (aka glorified senior associate) at a Biglaw firm. So it may not be that you're pregnant, but that you're not a top performer and they do not wish to retain you. This is the big leagues (at least in the legal world), and not a social club where everyone gets a trophy.

I worked in BigLaw myself as an associate 20 years ago. I had the associate mentality. Now I have also seen BigLaw from the partner side (DH trying to bring in business and retain clients). So now a lot of associate behavior seems entitled and naive to me. (I now work in-house, fortunately, which is so much better than working in a law firm. I highly recommend it. But first, if you can, take some time at home with your new baby - congratulations.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a senior associate at a biglaw firm. I am also pregnant. This year my firm gave me only a very small bonus (like smaller than the first years get). I did just miss the criteria to get the BIG bonus, but in my experience the firm usually just discounts the bonus (by maybe 25%) for people who miss the criteria.

I suspect that the reason the firm got cheap on my bonus is that they think I can’t move anywhere while I’m pregnant. BUT—jokes on them—I have another job lined up. I am about to give notice. Should I be honest about my suspicion about the reason for my low bonus, or should I just move on?

Move on, but if there's an exit interview I would mention it and your perception that the reason is because you're pregnant.

[Anonymous]

So funny that OP thinks the joke is on them. They obviously know she’s leaving, so they’re screwing her on the bonus. The joke is entirely on her.