bauerr3

Hello everyone,
I am a former awac FO (hired in 2018) and left in January of 2020. I made the mistake and took the bonus and I just received the treasury letter saying I owe just under 20k. The letter does not show how much I "earned" during my time at awac or anything. I also never receiced a contract or letter of agreement, just a surveymonkey.com questionnaire during the first week of Indoc.
Does anyone know if we are 100% obligated to pay back the signing bonus under these conditions?
Does anyone have experience with this situation recently?

Thanks guys and girls!

IFLYACRJ

A signed contract is legal and binding. If you didn’t sign a legal and binding agreement then nothing to worry about. I would consult with an attorney before collection proceedings begin. Collections and judgments will ruin one’s credit really badly.


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tonsterboy5

yes you did
You signed it when you choose to take the bonus and not defer it.

idlethrust

Looks as though you were only a few months shy of the two year commitment. Probably should just stuck it out a few more months then you would have been home free

bauerr3

I emailed them and asked for a specific statement that shows which part of the bonus I earned. They gave me a superficial statement that doesnt really show anything at all.
Also you I thought if its a legally binding contract, We have to get a paper copy, which I never got...not even an electronic copy of the agreement.

Thanks for the heads up

VOLLU

Even a verbal contract is easily enforced when it is supported by the subsequent performance of both parties. The airline offered you money to join the company. You accepted the offer. Contract binding!

Excargodog

But if they told you it came with a commitment and you took it anyway, it IS enforceable.

And now that regionals are starting to get desperate, and offering even larger multi year bonuses, they will have a compelling reason to enforce EVERY commitment, because they will rapidly go broke if they don’t.

And yes, it’s somewhat of a trap, because they are required by law to withhold money for taxes, so if you decide to default it may actually cost you more to pay it back than what you actually received in hand, and you will then need to try to pry the rest back from the IRS and possibly the state you live in.

if you want to be a free agent, don’t take a dime until it has already been earned. Even just putting it in the bank ahead of time and not spending it so you can pay it back doesn’t avoid having to come up with extra money and then having to fight a tax hassle to be made whole again.

Soxfan1

We have/had a 7 page discussion on this very topic already. In fact, it’s still on the first page of the AW sub forum.

itsmytime

yeah, but most of that thread turned into a debate on the morality of repaying the bonus or not.

ninerdriver

​​​​​​...which this one probably will as well, in 3... 2... 1...