[twistedpair]

Usually the 20K payout is staged and contingent on the employee working through a target date, say 1 year.

This has made me want to call them up at 50 weeks and ask for that bottle of whiskey or brown paper bag of cash, otherwise I walk. Oddly enough, I've had plenty of recruiters that placed me call me up on that 53rd week and try to place me somewhere else.

Too bad the employees are not getting in on this racket?

[fecak]

In the US the guarantee period is usually much less, and fees are paid relatively quickly. 90 day guarantee (sometimes prorated) and 90 day net is pretty normal, and you might even see 30 day net.