Stock Compensation Gives Big Tech Workers a Powerful Reason to Stay. Layoffs and the AI Boom Are Changing the Equation

Owning your company's stock can be lucrative. It can also make career decisions complicated.

Big Tech workers say stock compensation can make leaving difficult, but layoffs, AI startups, and years of stock gains are changing the calculus.

Stock compensation gives Big Tech workers a powerful reason to stay. Layoffs and the AI boom are changing the equation

, Julie Zhu (center), and Yousuf Imran (right) weighed Big Tech stock compensation as they considered their next career moves. Rob Waters (left), Julie Zhu (center), and Yousuf Imran (right) Big Tech stock can be worth a fortune — if workers remain employed long enough to get it. Layoffs can…