Returning a recruitment bonus

[Aparecium]

Ds accepted a job offer at company A, to start after 3 months. A few weeks after the offer, company B also offered him a job. He preferred B, so accepted it and informed A of his decision, which they accepted.

Company A had paid him the first instalment of a joining bonus. He emailed Payroll (ccing Recruitment) explaining that he would not be starting at A, and asking how to return the bonus. There was no reply. He then received the second instalment of the joining bonus. Again he emailed Payroll to explain the situation and ask how to return the money to them. Still no reply.

He has 'pigeonholed' the money not to be spent, so that he can pay it back when asked. He's not happy having this debt imposed upon him and hanging over him with no framework.

What should he do now? Where does he stand? How long have they got to request it back? Can Company A ask for it back with interest?

Hi,

Similar happened to me not long after starting a 1 year contract, got a cost of living one off bonus type payment unexpectedly around this time last year, before a permanent job landed in my lap - company didn't want it back despite the offer and so I ended up writing a nice staff review. I didn't see Karma coming but it did a few months later I ended up going off ill in the permanent job I changed for. I'm partly glad in a way I wasn't on the payroll of the company who gave that bonus.

Another time in my younger days, was getting a rather pricey employee of the month gift then handing in my notice; opinion then was to give gift back just because of guilt for leaving could cause some offence.