Headline after headline, news report after news report have contained some tidbit about Michael Vick’s release from federal prison following his dog fighting conviction and conditional return to the National Football League (NFL).
He’s a volatile subject.
In 2004 Vick was awarded a $37 million signing bonus. Following his conviction, an arbitrator required the return of $19.97 million of that signing bonus, in part, because it's believed that at least a portion of that money was used to fund activities that are illegal (cruel & reprehensible too, Vick admitted in a letter written to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in August of 2007) and in violation of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.
At the end of 2006, just months prior to his conviction, Vick was one of the highest earning athletes. With his NFL salary and endorsements combined he was worth an estimated $25.4 million.
As of August 13, Michael Vick is back in the NFL as a player, with the Philadelphia Eagles having signed him to a two-year deal. In year one, Vick will be paid $1.6 million and in year two (assuming there is a year two), $5.2 million.
The choices Michael Vick made regarding non-work related activities clearly had a huge impact on his compensation. He’s certainly not the first, nor will he be the last and, he’s certainly not alone. Remember Pete Rose — though he’s not even in the same ballpark (pun intended!) as far as egregious behavior?
There are numerous ways to impact your own compensation based on decisions you make associated with non-work related activities. Being a “Dead Beat Dad” is one example. Think about the Non-Disclosure, Non-Compete, Confidentiality, Proprietary Rights or any other agreements you've signed for your employer.
Are you involved in any activity(ies) outside of your work that could cause you to be in breach of your agreement(s)? And, as a compensation professional, is your company in a position to deal with off-hours behavior by your employees that could be harmful to your overall operation?
Terri Albee, CCP, is managing partner of HR Ops Team LLC, which provides scalable and affordable human resources services, ensuring human resources structures are in legal compliance, streamlined for funding or exit events, or just optimized for day-to-day operations. Terri has planned and managed HR operations in a variety of industry verticals from start-up organizations to the Fortune 500, domestically and globally. Her experience encompasses design, implementation, compliance and management of compensation, benefit and equity plans at all levels.
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