As a result, they lost money they should have had. That's not the way compensation or pensions are supposed to work. Recently, more traditional firms have gotten into the game. Top executives often get new option grants every year. Lower-level employees might get them every two or three years.
Some companies are including a noncompete clause.
If you jump to a competitor, you typically forfeit the vested options that you haven't exercised. When you quit or retire, you usually have to exercise your options within three months. A few progressive companies let you pick any date over the options' remaining term. If you don't get options, the compensation lottery might bring you a bonus. Of nearly 2,000 midsize and large companies surveyed by Mercer, half have increased the number of employees eligible for performance incentives.