Got fired, told I was going to be vested and now they want to rescind the offer

[anon292929]

I was fired from a startup 6 weeks before my first year of vesting, (my guess is mainly because they are running out of funding and I was the most expensive employ) but I was told in the exit interview that they would make that day my vesting cliff, because I had worked very hard and deserved (their words not mine).

Two weeks later I get a call from the CEO telling me that they wont vest me. I have the exit interview recorded stating that they would vest me. Is there anything I can do?

I am in a state were its legal to record voice conversations: http://www.vegress.com/images/vegress/notification-map-550a.jpg

The two options that I am thinking about is to either lawyer up, or right a blog post so future employs know what kind of people they are dealing with, or both.

Thanks

[bking]

I would go back to them and state that you have a recording with their promise of vesting. Make sure to read all the verbiage that you signed previously. Don't make it public at all. It is good you haven't yet. Make sure that the person who gave the comment about having your vesting cliff had the authority to make that comment. If there is law where you are that makes verbal agreements legitimate and the one who gave the agreement has authority to make that arrangement, then you have a pretty solid case.

I wouldn't threaten to go public and all that nonsense because it makes both parties look bad and even if you are in the right, future companies might see you as a trouble maker.

cross the "T"s and dot the "I"s, and if that pans out and they don't respond to your initial statement, lawyer up.

Good luck.

[anon292929]

Thanks for that, I am working with the company now to see if we can get an amicable solution. (it took them a week to answer my emails)