'AITA for accepting a bonus and then quitting?' 'It was immoral.'
"AITA for accepting a bonus and then quitting?"
I worked for a company as an engineer. I originally told the owner that I expect $35 an hour, which was the average for my position at the time. I agreed to $24/hr to then work my way up as I prove myself (yes that was naive). After 2 years, they have bumped my pay to $26/hr.
I brought up my expected pay from way back when, but I was told to keep working for it. Another company sent me a job offer for about $54/hr and better benefits. I had planned to accept the offer, and had a final interview set up where I was to give my answer.
The day I was supposed to give my answer, the owner brought me in to a meeting which had alot of higher ups. He, and the other managers, congratulated me on my hard work, said I finally qualified for the bonus program, and then gave me a $5K bonus check.
The kudos and the bonus were nice, but I had been saying I expect a certain pay for 2 years. I had gone above and beyond my duties. The average for my position had gone up in that time, and I was very open with my boss about that.
I took the bonus, accepted my new job offer, and told my manager the next day. I was told that I shouldn't have accepted that bonus and that it was immoral. From my POV, the bonus is a "thank you" for all my hard work, not a bribe to keep me on. Should I have not accepted the bonus? AITA?
Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:
TheZZ9 said:
NTA. That bonus was for underpaying you all this time, not an advance on future work. And by classing it as a bonus rather than a pay rise they could easily not pay it next year and you'd have worked a whole year for the lower rate again. Take the money and enjoy your new job.
bleah1000 said:
NTA. The way a lot of people look at compensation is, a bonus is a reward for work you've already done, stock is for future performance. So that bonus was yours for all of the hard work you had already done. There are plenty of people who will quit a job but stay around long enough to get a yearly bonus (where it's offered). That is not immoral since it's for work already done.
EvilSockLady said:
NTA. You earned that bonus. They said it themselves: you worked hard and you qualified for the bonus. You were transparent about expectations. I believe the $5k is the definition of "too little, too late."
VeronicaSawyer8 said:
A bonus is for work you already did. It's not for work you'll do in the future. NTA.
pottersquash said:
NTA. Immoral??? You got people depending on you! Mr. Rent, Madam Light Bill, Lord and Lady Cell and Internet. Had you turned that money down, you'd be letting them down.
LunaMay196 said:
NTA. While the company will certainly think you're an AH, they did you wrong by not bringing up your pay appropriately. You still deserved the bonus for your hard work in the past.