[aniketpant]

Something very similar had happened to me at my previous company. Our team was not as small as yours, rather pretty big.

So the story goes something like this. I was given stocks after having worked there for around six months. Their rationale behind it was that you need to earn stocks at [company] and I totally get that.

After a total 17 months at the company I decided that I wanted to leave and had a conversation with my manager regarding the same, they were ready to let me go. But they did not let me decide my exit date. My first set of options were set to mature in another week and they asked me to leave.

When I get my full and final settlement, I was given cash for my stocks. I wanted to exercise my options and keep them, but instead they cashed them out for me.

[meric]

Hey, at least you got cash for them. :)