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Do employee stock options usually not vest automatically upon acquisition? The SinglePlatform story made it sound like employees get screwed if there's an early
by abat 12y ago
Do employee stock options usually not vest automatically upon acquisition? The SinglePlatform story made it sound like employees get screwed if there's an early exit before their options had fully vested.
- jacquesm 12y agoThat very much depends on the contract. I have said this before and I'll repeat it on the off chance that it will save someone's bacon one day: insist on accelerated vesting clauses in change of control situations.
- ashbrahma 12y agoIs it easy to negotiate a change or add an acceleration clause in the options grant? Seems like those docs are set in stone and very hard to change without board approvals etc.
- jacquesm 12y agoThen you go somewhere else. Nobody forces you to take a job with extra risks and a contractual situation that allows others to pull the rug out from under you when the pay-off materializes. Really, the only potentially bad contracts are the ones that you've signed. So as long as you haven't signed you have negotiation room and if your choice is between being paid 'market rates' versus being paid 'half of market rate + options' and those options are subject to change without notice then you're just setting yourself up for being hurt if you chose the second. Nothing is set in stone, that's more a matter of self-confidence and knowing when to walk away.
- kijiki 12y agoThe grant itself requires board approval, so that isn't a huge roadblock. The bigger issue is how much leverage you have. If you're experienced and they need you, getting double-trigger acceleration shouldn't be an issue, and it can't hurt to at least ask for single-trigger...
- aidenn0 12y agoI've never been offered options that vest upon acquisition. I don't know what's usual though.
- bradleyjg 12y agoAn acceleration on change of ownership clause is considered a poison pill.
- iamraymondc 12y agoPlease do yourself a favour and ask your company about this. A lot of my peers just assume that every stock option contract has this clause.