4 ms·

I certainly didn't know that asking for a longer exercise window was an option when I started at my current work. Is it ever an option? I'd imagine that it

by kylec 11y ago

I certainly didn't know that asking for a longer exercise window was an option when I started at my current work. Is it ever an option? I'd imagine that it's usually impossible to make an exception for a single employee's option exercise window. However, you can use it as a point of information for whether or not you want to accept the job, assuming you dare ask.

Eridrus 11y ago
My employer has been pretty willing to make changes to contracts. I did not ask for any changes to my employment contract, but I know a coworker did and they made the changes; they have been willing to change subsequent paperwork. Large companies are usually unwilling to make changes, but smaller companies are often more flexible. I've argued over multiple employment contracts, hit rate for changes is about 50%. Microsoft most certainly did not budge, smaller consultancies were fine. In any case, I feel like talking about my options when they come up for a refresh is a lot easier since the company has a lot more invested in me at this point.
p4wnc6 11y ago
> Is it ever an option? Literally anything about your terms of employment is open for negotiation. The worst they can do is say no and rescind any offer / end negotiations because they don't like a question you ask. But if someone would reject you merely for asking whether something is possible you should be grateful because you're dodging a huge bullet. In my experience, I've had employers, including one start-up, do all kinds of things, such as (not all at the same place): (1) give me accelerated vesting schedule, (2) reduce the time-frame of the initial cliff from 1 year to 6 months, (3) grant a small severance benefit, (4) put in writing and send an email from my manager to me, CC'd to HR, stating exactly what the terms are for working from home each week, (5) significantly raise the offered salary, (6) put in writing and send an email from my manager CC'd to HR describing specific terms about budget and scheduling for annual conference attendance, (7) raise the amount of vacation time, (8) significantly alter large sections of boiler plate intellectual property restrictions and clauses from the company handbook to exclude certain open source projects I worked on and also to exclude any work I might do in my spare time towards starting my own business, so long as it was not materially competing with the business unit I worked for within the company (this was actually at a very large education technology company, and I was very surprised how willing they were to re-write their standard, legal-approved IP documents). Amazingly, there is only one aspect of my job that I've never been able to successfully negotiate at any employer: working in a private office instead of an awful open-plan space. And, unfortunately, this is probably one of the top 3 preferences for me when choosing a job, because open-plan offices are such a hindrance to productivity. But, physical office layouts can't easily be changed, and companies are often more willing to give hidden status signals, like higher pay, than public status symbols, like a nicer office, because the public signals cause more damage to the internal hierarchy. I have been able to get significant concessions about working from home, though, to supplement the dispreference for open-plan spaces. What really changed for me was reading this: < http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ > and basically just no longer being afraid of someone saying no. I've had three different episodes where I made it to the stage of receiving a formal offer, tried to negotiate, and was told "no." And so I walked away, turned down the jobs. Employers have to learn one way or another that we're not going to work just to get out of the rain. We expect to be paid fairly like anyone else. Long story short -- if they actually value talent, then anything about a specific employment agreement is negotiable. If they don't value talent, then just nope out of there and work somewhere else where they do value talent.

by kylec 11y ago

Eridrus 11y ago

My employer has been pretty willing to make changes to contracts. I did not ask for any changes to my employment contract, but I know a coworker did and they made the changes; they have been willing to change subsequent paperwork. Large companies are usually unwilling to make changes, but smaller companies are often more flexible. I've argued over multiple employment contracts, hit rate for changes is about 50%. Microsoft most certainly did not budge, smaller consultancies were fine. In any case, I feel like talking about my options when they come up for a refresh is a lot easier since the company has a lot more invested in me at this point.

p4wnc6 11y ago

> Is it ever an option? Literally anything about your terms of employment is open for negotiation. The worst they can do is say no and rescind any offer / end negotiations because they don't like a question you ask. But if someone would reject you merely for asking whether something is possible you should be grateful because you're dodging a huge bullet. In my experience, I've had employers, including one start-up, do all kinds of things, such as (not all at the same place): (1) give me accelerated vesting schedule, (2) reduce the time-frame of the initial cliff from 1 year to 6 months, (3) grant a small severance benefit, (4) put in writing and send an email from my manager to me, CC'd to HR, stating exactly what the terms are for working from home each week, (5) significantly raise the offered salary, (6) put in writing and send an email from my manager CC'd to HR describing specific terms about budget and scheduling for annual conference attendance, (7) raise the amount of vacation time, (8) significantly alter large sections of boiler plate intellectual property restrictions and clauses from the company handbook to exclude certain open source projects I worked on and also to exclude any work I might do in my spare time towards starting my own business, so long as it was not materially competing with the business unit I worked for within the company (this was actually at a very large education technology company, and I was very surprised how willing they were to re-write their standard, legal-approved IP documents). Amazingly, there is only one aspect of my job that I've never been able to successfully negotiate at any employer: working in a private office instead of an awful open-plan space. And, unfortunately, this is probably one of the top 3 preferences for me when choosing a job, because open-plan offices are such a hindrance to productivity. But, physical office layouts can't easily be changed, and companies are often more willing to give hidden status signals, like higher pay, than public status symbols, like a nicer office, because the public signals cause more damage to the internal hierarchy. I have been able to get significant concessions about working from home, though, to supplement the dispreference for open-plan spaces. What really changed for me was reading this: < http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ > and basically just no longer being afraid of someone saying no. I've had three different episodes where I made it to the stage of receiving a formal offer, tried to negotiate, and was told "no." And so I walked away, turned down the jobs. Employers have to learn one way or another that we're not going to work just to get out of the rain. We expect to be paid fairly like anyone else. Long story short -- if they actually value talent, then anything about a specific employment agreement is negotiable. If they don't value talent, then just nope out of there and work somewhere else where they do value talent.