Entitled friend demands a cut of her friend's $500 referral work bonus: ‘I laughed it off and didn’t think she was being serious’

Let's face it: The only thing that makes work worth living is the extra money we score through incentives, merit, and referrals for new hires. Most employees are tired of transferring wealth from their employers to their landlords every month, so a small amount of spending money every once in a while makes all the difference.

Usually, the referral process in most workplaces proceeds as follows: Someone mentions that their friend is looking for a job, you put in a good word for them at your company, they get a job, and you receive some spending money. It's a win-win situation.

Sometimes, a friend tells you about a friend-of-a-friend who would be a good fit for the role. Does that make your friend entitled to the bonus you receive upon this friend-of-a-friend's hiring? I personally don't think so, and neither does the employee who shared this next story.

In friendships, not everything is a "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" type of situation. Assuming that you'll get a cut of a friend's work bonus because you spread the word about a potential job opportunity for someone else is ludicrous. What do you think? Would you give a friend a cut of your referral work bonus in this scenario?