How do shares/SIPs work in salary negotiations?

adamh87

Have Googled around unsuccessfully for an answer to my question.

I'm hoping to leave the company I work for in the next year or so, hoping for a better paid position and/or to move somewhere cheaper where I can afford to buy a home.

Before anyone starts with "you should think yourself lucky, in my day/job/position..." I spent my 20s flat broke and am mindful that I'm in a good position, I just don't want to waste what could be my peak lifetime earnings or make another costly mistake.

My current company was bought and is now part of a plc and has been doing well the past couple (2.5) of years. I was offered access to the share scheme (SIP) in January which I took up, in that time the shares have performed well. The scheme involves shares being held for 3-5 years (details https://www.gov.uk/tax-employee-share-schemes/share-incentive-plans-sips )

I know I maybe shouldn't have taken up a long term incentive scheme if I was thinking of leaving, but what's done is done. Also I know that shares can go up as well as down, and that in the time needed for the shares to vest they could be worthless etc etc.

I have also just been awarded performance shares as a bonus for the previous year's performance, which is also now "in trust" in a similar way for 3 years.

All that being said, how do I measure the value of this benefit when moving on?

- I invest sum x salary sacrifice monthly and the company matches it, so do I say it's worth sum x per year? Do I add that into my salary expectations or say I want equivalent equity/shares?

- Re: the bonus shares, I expect I lose them if I leave, so is it appropriate to request a "golden hello" or whatever they're called? Do I just add this sum into my salary expectations too?

- What about dividends and capital gains in that time? Obviously they could both be zero (or negative in terms of capital gains) but they've been pretty strong so far (admittedly a very short time period).

Would I ask for shares up-front, some kind of joining bonus, roll it into salary, discount it & roll it into salary... Or something else?

Any tips greatly received - thanks!