Upfront Signing bonus, what happens after year one?

[Anonymous]

I got a 30k signing bonus to join a company. As long as I stay for year one, I don't need to repay. I have almost hit that year mark, would a company ever give another bonus? Not sure financially staying at this place makes much sense since they have a lot of management issues. Is this an opportunity to negotiate after year one?

[Anonymous]

You should have asked about this when you took the job... did they mention a bonus structure?

[Anonymous]

LMAO good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

My husband's company tends to offer their good employee's a retention bonus if they have a really good offer to jump to another company. The bonus usually isn't as good as the other offer, but is enough to get them to stay if they are genuinely torn.

[Anonymous]

Um, no?

[Anonymous]

Unless you are an absolute, indisputable superstar, no.

[Anonymous]

If they don't have a regular bonus for employees...no.

How you are smart enough to get $30K sign on but clueless enough to ask this question will probably keep me awake tonight.

[Anonymous]

Nothing. Nothing happens after Year One.

[Anonymous]

The signing bonus usually is intended to cover two things. (1) Incentivize you to go through the hassle of switching, getting used to a new place, learning new rules, new people, etc (2) Compensate you for the loss of whatever portion of this year's bonus you'd be giving up by leaving mid-year, and cover the loss of any un-vested benefits.

In subsequent years, neither reason still holds. You should now be eligible for the full year's performance bonus at your new employer, and the vesting period of benefits is intended to keep you there.