[arbales]

Oh don't get me wrong, if someone actually owed me 10k, I'd totally care /and/ be aggressive about collecting, but that's not the case here.

Startups, especially small ones, need not waste time with HR infrastructure like this – they're building products. HR should be ad-hoc and people-driven. If that's a problem, there are numerous larger companies to work for that devote their time to things like that. It's not unreasonable to expect someone to ask/remind the company about their referral bonus – and if he cared that much about it, he'd have collected before he departed.

My point is – spilt milk. Move on, build other opportunities for yourself, and don't forget again :D

[suresk]

How is that not _exactly_ the case here? The company offers a $10k fee for referring an employee who stays 6 months. Employee refers someone who stays 6 months, but the company forgets to pay him and he forgets until a month after he quits. The company owes him $10k, and the fact that he quit is immaterial.

I don't think the naming and shaming was a very good idea, but he is absolutely owed $10k.