One problem with options is the rift it may cause between people who joined the company while the stock was going up versus those who joined while the stock was

One problem with options is the rift it may cause between people who joined the company while the stock was going up versus those who joined while the stock was going down. The people with the sinking options start to wonder why the guy next to them is leaving early each week to head out on his yacht, while you're stuck working extra hard to try to earn a 10% boost in your base salary next year. I believe Gates said something once about how offering options in the MS early years was one of his biggest regrets - exactly for this reason.