Yeah, Mike

By considering murder - This FML is from back in 2016 but it's good stuff - United States - Huntington Beach

Today, I finally put the finishing touches to a huge project after 8 months of gruelling work. My boss had used the promise of a 5-figure bonus to motivate me. When I casually brought the bonus up later in the day, my boss just said, "Gratitude's its own reward, Mike." FML
I agree, your life sucks 24 712
You deserved it 1 895

Same thing different taste

Top comments

Report that. You were lied to for 8 months

Im sure thats not right?? Id go to HR and see if they can do anything

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You should've known better than to make a dumb comment, George.

Report that. You were lied to for 8 months

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Shadowvoid 33

Well he did motivate him... Just abandoned his promise

Im sure thats not right?? Id go to HR and see if they can do anything

If he just said verbally then does not have anything to prove it.

Actually, this is a common misconception and mistake. One of which terrible bosses sometimes make when they try to screw over their employees(like this situation), only to realize that they actually have no ground to stand on. If the employee knows the law, it can be the boss that ends up getting in some real trouble. Verbal contracts are still contracts, they hold as much validity as written and are still required to be upheld. They're harder to prove sometimes, but often people have enough evidence and can still win if they have an easy judge/jury or a sympathetic HR. Any promise of an exchange made between people, even if it's just oral, can be enforced, it's a lot of work, but the OP could take this case to court.

It is but there is nothing wrong with multiple rewards. Especially one that you were promised and could be a down payment on a house.

At this point you should cut your losses and find a new job. One in which the employer respects his/her employees. Of course, before you go make sure you contact HR if possible and report this. Maybe it can be resolved and you could keep your job. Oh, and whenever discussing money, especially that much, just ask for an email. In business a promise means nothing until it's written/recorded.

1ronlady 24

#6 & 9 are correct. In business some form of written proof is always required. Even after a phone call with clients or management, I always follow up with an email. Not only does it cover my ass but also ensures am not left hanging

Go to HR immediately. If nothing is done, delete every part of the project and quit.

Can't delete every part of the project. Because the project was done for the company while Mike worked at the company, legally speaking the company owns the project. Deleting the project is a criminal act and will land OP with a nice trial if the company presses charges. Hooray America amirite? This is true even if Mike quits or even if HR decides to give him the bonus he was promised.

It's not a problem with america that he can't destroy his project. Whether or not he worked under false pretenses, he shouldn't screw over the company because his boss lied.

"Sorry a virus must have wiped it out as well as the backup i had saved"

Plus I'm sure he got paid his regularly salary while doing the project so he doesn't really have any rights to it. He was paid what he agreed to receive. The bonus was...well... a bonus.

IDK how much going to HR would help. Unless you have it in writing, it's just your word over your boss's.

Report it. Next time, make sure to get any agreements written on paper.

Oral agreements taken to be in good faith can actually sometimes be legally binding. A court in New York upheld an oral promise of a bonus for an employee despite the employment contract specifically stating that future bonuses are at the discretion of the employer. In fact the employer in this case denied that he made the promise, but the jury sided with the employee.