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I'm curently a junior associate at a large firm and starting a clerkship in January. Firm knows about it and is supportive. I've saved up a bunch of vacation time and want to take it during December before officially leaving the firm in early January. Should I be worried that they wouldn't pay me a bonus since I would be on vacation and on my way out? My hours by then will be well over 2000 and I'm on good standing. Also, is there a good way to ask about this? Seems like a touchy subject to ask about bonuses.

Anonymous User wrote:I'm curently a junior associate at a large firm and starting a clerkship in January. Firm knows about it and is supportive. I've saved up a bunch of vacation time and want to take it during December before officially leaving the firm in early January. Should I be worried that they wouldn't pay me a bonus since I would be on vacation and on my way out? My hours by then will be well over 2000 and I'm on good standing. Also, is there a good way to ask about this? Seems like a touchy subject to ask about bonuses.

If they think there's a chance you're coming back I think they'll give you a fine bonus.

You did the work, you will get the bonus. It's not a prospective bonus, its a bonus for work already done. It is not for some Delphic notion of keeping people happy or satisfied or complacent, its for work done. Period. Full stop.

That's a very romantic view of bonuses you have. The reality is that the majority of vault and am law firms time their bonuses in a way to try to keep associates in through at least January and don't pay it out unless they are there. If op will be there on pay out date, almost certainly he will get it. If he isn't there on payout date, I would bet good money he will not get the bonus.

As for whether he will get it if he takes vacation... that's a tough one. Would definitely depend on the people on your comp committee and how much they like you. As bush league as it is, taking leave right up to leaving is the kind of thing that some partners will trash associates for later on. Not all. But definitely a good number.

Anonymous User wrote:You did the work, you will get the bonus. It's not a prospective bonus, its a bonus for work already done. It is not for some Delphic notion of keeping people happy or satisfied or complacent, its for work done. Period. Full stop.

This is wrong.

OP: If your firm usually pays its bonuses in December, then you're fine so long as you're still on payroll—which it sounds like you will be. This would be a more interesting question if your firm usually paid its bonuses in January. Based on what I've heard and observed, associates leaving (for clerkships or any other reason) generally do not get their bonuses if they depart even a couple of weeks before bonuses are paid out.

Citizen Genet wrote:As for whether he will get it if he takes vacation... that's a tough one. Would definitely depend on the people on your comp committee and how much they like you. As bush league as it is, taking leave right up to leaving is the kind of thing that some partners will trash associates for later on. Not all. But definitely a good number.

Yeah, I think that's a fair point. OP: If you're interested in returning to the firm, you may not want to totally peace out during your last last three or four weeks. The reality is that you will likely be very slow anyway: the firm has to roll you off of matters and they're not going to want to staff you on anything new. It's probably fine to take a few days off here and there if you're slow, but spending the last three or four weeks of your employment out of the office might rub some people the wrong way.