Question:  If I leave this company in around a month, would I still get paid my commissions from the deal I just won over the next 3 years? I’ve been working for a company for around 3 years, I have been made a better offer at another company and thinking about quitting my job and joining this new company.  I have around $400,000.00 in commissions from a large job I just landed that will be paid out upon monies received over the next 3 years from now.
Answer: This is an excellent question.  Many employees wonder – what happens if I leave my job right before I am supposed to get my bonus?  Is there any way to get the bonus?  The answer is maybe.  It will depend on the specific facts of your case, and whether there are any written documents that address your commissions or bonus payments (e.g. an employment contract, an Annual Incentive Plan, etc.)  Other important considerations will include:

• Whether you are leaving the company of your own accord (as opposed to having your employment terminated),
• How your commissions or bonus payments are earned or calculated (have you already earned the bonus?  does the company use a specific formula, or is the whole payment subject to discretion?), and
• Are there any documents which address what happens to your bonus or commissions if your employment ends?

One of our lawyers can review your situation and let you know if, and how, you can claim your commission payments even AFTER you have left the company.  You do not necessarily have to forfeit your bonus or commissions just because you get a new job before it is paid.