Legal Question in Employment Law in California

Sign on bonus

I've been at my job for two weeks and they haven't paid my $5000 sign on bonus which I should receive after employment, per my signed offer letter. I am accepting another job and need to terminate employment with this company after only two weeks. Am I still entitled to this sign on amount? Nowhere in the handbook is there anything referencing a sign on bonus and my offer letter states nothing regarding any sign on bonus payback if I don't work for a certain amount of time. Thanks!


Asked on 9/01/05, 11:49 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Patrick Turner Patrick E. Turner Inc. APLC

Re: Sign on bonus

You should probably first ask your employer when you can expect to receive your sign-on bonus. If you resign before you receive the bonus, the employer would be required to pay all earned wages (including the bonus) within 72 hours. However, given the circumstances, the employer is not going to be happy about paying you a $5,000 sign-on bonus. Only worked there for two weeks. Be cautious, because the employer may claim that you knew you would be resigning at the time you accepted the offer and sign-on bonus, and you defrauded the employer by not disclosing this intent.

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Answered on 9/08/05, 12:34 pm


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