conversation: User (tortillathehuns): "I started this job this week.  It's the most reputable retail company I've ever worked for (&gt;5 bil annual rev).   My interview process took months and it was originally for a Senior position.   At the end of the process they said it would not be a Senior role anymore and over the phone mentioned that it might not have the bonus potential.  I had to decide between my Director level role at a small company or an Associate level role at a huge company.  When they sent the offer letter it contained a 10% bonus section.  I accepted the job and started this week.  Now they're saying they sent me the Senior - level offer, not the associate one.   It's exactly the same sans bonus section. \nI don't want to ruin my reputation at the company as being greedy, but I don't want to feel cheated out of a potential $8,500. \nThe only person at the company that is aware is the HR Manager at this location.  \nShould I ask my boss for advice?\nShould I accept that I lost the bonus?\nI quit my job where I was very happy for this role, and for the salary. I don't know what to do. "
  Self: "You should definitely speak about this with your boss and/or whoever hired you. Make sure you do this professionally. Emphasize you're excited to work with the company, but that this agreed upon bonus was a significant incentive to come on board. Do this in writing and make the first email short (not more than a paragraph or two).\n\nThe key here is to make this a win-win for everyone involved. Communicate that you understand mistakes do sometimes occur and that you want to find an equitable solution. If they won't budge and you want to still stay with this company, you may be able to instead negotiate alternative compensation in the form of additional benefits, PTO, or stock options. \n\nYou need to be professional, but firm here. It's not a good idea to start off at a new job from a position of weakness. It sets a bad precedent for your time with the company and could limit your opportunities for advancement.\n\nI would give them an opportunity to save face and also the benefit of the doubt about this being a clerical error. Either way, document everything in writing in case you do need to take legal action. While negotiating, however, I would not mention that you are preparing for that. They are likely aware that if they act in bad faith, it sets them up for a lawsuit or arbitration.\n\nCongratulations on the new job! Mix ups like this do occur sometimes and are not the end of the world. Be cautious, but amicable. Good luck and hope things work out for the best. "
  arghvark (arghvark): "I agree this is a good answer. They've screwed up in a big way, and are now compounding it by attempting to get you to give up what they offered instead of just admitting they screwed up and letting it go. Based just on what you've said, it appears they definitely owe you the money, but that's a legal/contract/formal thing -- if you have to get legal/contractual/formal to win your point, it could make your job uncomfortable. \n\nSo I like the attitude-setting method outlined by BeatnikThespian, hopefully they'll either realize they were wrong and back down or be too embarrassed by the publication of their mistake to continue."
  