Many companies have bonus plans that require the employee to be employed through a certain date before the right to be paid vests.  If such a plan is in place, any employee terminated reasonably close to the vesting date is likely to demand payment of the bonus, claiming that his termination was a ruse designed to avoid the company’s obligation to pay him.  Unfortunately, employers who legitimately terminate employees near such a vesting date often get leveraged into paying monies that they legitimately should not have to pay because a contingent fee attorney has threatened to sue.  In Weiss v. DHL Express, Inc., however, the First Circuit implicitly gives employers a road map as to how they may be able to avoid such issues.… Keep reading