Couple months to go before my company declares the bonus. If I leave my job before that, am I entitled to get any bonus for the part year I have already worked for? What is the normal practise?Cheers!

Where I am, you waive any bonus you may be due by leaving. You have to be employed by the firm on date of bonus.

Thanks for confirming my belief !

Not only that, but generally if you've already given your notice, you're not entitled to bonus, even if you're still at the firm (working out your notice) on bonus day. Check your contract, but that's normally how it works.After all, what's in it for them to give you a discretionary incentive if you've already decided to leave?

How is a bonus a 'discrenionary incentive'? I thought that a a bonus should reward the previous year's efforts and meeting of targets/performance.

you thought wrong. No firm I have ever come across will honour a bonus if they know you are leaving, after all this is business and numbers. You need to wait until the money has hit your account and then declare you hand.

Yup - vast majority of firms will not honour bonus if you are serving notice or leave. Often this extends to the day of bonus payment, not just announcement (i.e. bonus announced in Sept, paid in Dec, you give notice in Nov = no bonus)BUT I do know one strat firm that is an exception (keeps its alumni sweet), so its always worth checking. Normally HR policy is on the intranet so you don't actually have to ask anyone. However, you are massively unlikely to be asking about that firm...

Here you can have handed in your notice before your are paid the bonus but still receive it - I think it's only a couple of weeks though and possibly relates to the pay run already having been processed

Some firms pay their bonus based on the previous year's work but structure it in such a way that you only get 50% now and the balance in 6 months.... they think it will discourage moving.Advice is to tee up your move explain that you are awaiting your bonus, day it hits your account resign (check your contract that they can't claw it back tho') Alternatively the new mob may shell out the proposed bonus sum to get you now

In my knowledge, you should actually be a current employee when they actually hand out or cash the bonus to the employees. It would be on a case to case basis though and it would be best if you ask the proper department of your company for this or if you can grab yourself a company handbook where it might be stipulated just to be sure that you are not shortchanged your your benefits as well.

The policy varies massively across organisations. Who are you leaving? We can then provide specific guidance.