News Summary

• Stock compensation has long given Big Tech workers a powerful incentive to stay put.
• Since the end of 2022, shares of Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft have all at least doubled.
• But years of Big Tech layoffs have reminded some workers that their stock compensation isn't guaranteed.
• And for some workers, years of gains on vested stock have given them the financial security to leave Big Tech on their own terms..
• With stock compensation, timing can be everything.
• For all its potential upside, stock compensation can leave workers' finances exposed to luck and timing: of when they join the company, vesting schedule, stock performance, and their decisions to sell or hold.