If you're having to debate in your head "options vs cash", then the answer is definitely cash. Because if the options were worth something, that thought wouldn'

If you're having to debate in your head "options vs cash", then the answer is definitely cash. Because if the options were worth something, that thought wouldn't even come up. Also, companies where options are of actual value generally do not give you such a choice, they give you plenty of both (provided you are worth it), the objective is to retain you because you are valuable, not to pay you the minimum possible value by presenting tricky choices of "options or cash".