I've worked at my job at a company that is a gov't contractor for almost 10 years. The contract is usually an initial year with x amount of follow on years. Usually, when a contract year ends I get a bonus. This year was the end year of a multi-year contract. I want to leave the company. However, if I hold out long enough a bonus will come through, though it could be another month or two. The company wants me to stay on for additional years on another contract and are assuming that I am going to be doing so and have no clue I'm contemplating moving on. At this point I don't think I'll be staying on, as said company is below my standards for professionalism in many ways, but the pay is very good for me, but still not worth the emotional toll it takes out of me. If I urge them to pay my bonus now, declaring a desperate need for the money due to a hardship – like needing a new car, etc, and then turn around and quit the next week, are there any legal ramifications? Dealing with this job has me taking drugs to both sleep and wake up in a vicious cycle of anxiety, insomnia, sleeplessness, angst, worry, etc etc. Both the client, who is a gov't entity, and the company are staffed with lots of incompetent paper pushers and i've been lied to by corporate more than once.
I want that bonus, as it is a few grand, and I sure as hell have earned it. But the thought of sticking around and starting yet another contract year (it's actually just more of the same that never got done during the previous contract years) sucks the life out of me and my soul. Plus I'd be quitting in the middle of a long drawn out work cycle, which I hate to do to my co-workers/immediate boss. All to wait for a bonus.
What would you do? The company has lied enough to me that I don't worry about karma if I can get the bonus NOW and then just split. Just looking for some input. Thanks.