TLDR, I was told I would receive a $2500 starting bonus in offer letter, but the company is trying to pay it across three payments depending on how long I’m there. The last one would be November 2023. What recourse do I have?
So, this year I started a job at a factory that quickly proved to be intolerable. On my offer letter, it stated that I would receive a $2500 starting bonus. Here’s the exact wording from my offer letter;
This letter is to confirm our offer to you, and your acceptance of, the position of Machine Operator
+$2500 BONUS (Days or Nights) at the [redacted] Company. In accordance with company policy, this offer is contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment drug test, criminal background check, education and work history verification, and your ability to work legally in the United States. We are targeting a start date for this position of 5/9/2022.
This is all it states about my bonus. After spending about a month trying to figure out when I get the bonus, I finally get told I will $750.00 on 11/14/2022, the second part $750.00 on 5/15/2023, and finally the third $1,000.00 on 11/13/2023. Is this legal? Can I claim I’ve met the requirements for the bonus and then quite like I want without waiting because I never agreed to the bonus being split? I’m in Vermont if that matters.