It pays to quit at Zappos

Getting paid to quit? What kind of nonsense is that?

If you’re counting down the hours on the clock until the end of this fine Friday, and you’ve been counting down the hours to each day this week, getting paid to quit may sound like a fantastic idea to you. And, if you work for Zappos, the billion dollar shoe retailer, you would get some cash when handing in your resignation.

At Zappos, it pays to quit, exactly $1,000.

They call it “The Offer.” Every new hire is give the offer - “If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you’ve worked, plus a $1,000 bonus.” Quite a generous bribe.

Why would such a successful company do such a thing? They want to hang onto employees who are fully committed to the company, not one who will take some fast cash and run when given the chance. About 10% of new call-center employees take Zappos up on the offer.

The company would rather get rid of the bad apples sooner than later, and they’re willing to pay for employees to jump ship. Over the years the bribe amount has gone from $100 to $500, and now is at the $1,000 mark. As the company grows, that figure may grow along with it.