Did not get the responses on this article. Should I be looking somewhere else?

Susan

You have to ask the question "What is this persons value to the company" If you are talking about someone in business development who is bringing in 50% of your business you have to ask yourself can you survive without him. On the other hand if you feel you can survive without him you have to stand your ground and pay no more than you are contractually obligated to. In todays business environment most employees do not have the same options they did a couple of years ago and to make demands like this are unacceptable. As for his girlfriend negotiating his compensation package, absolutely not. He is the employee not her. My guess is he is using her to be the bad guy or gal in this case. Allowing her into the mix only empowers him to ask for more. Always remember, you are running the company not him and if he does leave you will be able to find 100 others who want his job.

Best of luck

Pay him no more than contractually required (as long as you don't recieve a bailout ) and don't allow the girlfriend to negotiate. If he's not happy with that then he is free to leave in November. I wouldn't have shown him the financials but what's done is done. I wouldn't set the precendent for others to "negotiate" a higher bonus in tough times. I would not renew this jerk's contract either.