Can I be forced to pay a bonus to an employee?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I be forced to pay a bonus to an employee?
I hired an employee at-will. All terms of employment were discussed via email and saved in Google Vault. We agreed on his offer;
Asked on February 14, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, South Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
What you do as a practical matter is you pay the $200--do you *really* want to fight the Dept. of Labor, an organization with far more attorneys than you have employees, over $200?
Yes, your interpretation is more likely correct, given the "ownership satisfaction" language, which effectively makes this a discretionary bonus. But there is an old saying: "the game is not worth the candle." It means that sometime, what you want to do is not worth the cost to do it. And fighting the DOL over $200 is one of those times.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.