Don't They Owe Me?

[agronomer]

I recently lost my job due to an "elimination of position" because of company cut backs. I was employed by a major agri-business corporation in the state of Kansas and worked primarily in sales of agronomic products. Part of my salary package included sales incentives, or a commission on sales. My last day was April 29 and my employer said I will be paid my commission on sales up to that date. The problem is, I had orders for products that were yet to be billed and some that probably will not be billed until the month of June. All of these orders had the products to be used, the amount of product, and the prices documented with the signature of the purchaser and the head of credit department from our corporate headquarters. Some orders, such as those for seed, also had my signature. Isn't the corporation still liable to pay me the commission on those sales even after the termination of my employment?

 

[cbg]

That depends on state law and the exact wording of your commission agreement. You should call the state Department of Labor, Wage and Hour division, for an opinion that will be more specific to your situation.

In my state, you would be owed any commissions for sales that you had completed before your last day of work, even if the company had not yet been paid by the customer. But you would not be owed subsequent commissions on the same accounts, even though you brought them in. But your state might be different, and the exact provisions of the commission agreement matters too.