Physician Contract Glossary · Compensation
Sign-On Bonus
A sign-on bonus is a one-time payment for accepting the job, almost always tied to a commitment to stay.
A sign-on bonus is cash for saying yes, paid at or shortly after your start date. It is one of the easiest terms to negotiate up, and one of the easiest to misread. Nearly every sign-on bonus carries a repayment clause: leave before a set date and you pay back all or part of it. The headline number is only as good as the strings attached to it.
Negotiate the amount, but read the repayment clause first. Confirm the vesting date, whether repayment is prorated or full, and whether it is grossed up for the taxes you will owe on it.
Related terms
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