Very true of typical employer/employee relationships.
When you get into management in the "real world" with considerably bigger salaries/responsibilities the employee is under contract to the employer with the terms of the contract negotiable. One of the terms frequently is buyout or termination or "golden parachute" where if the employee gets the boot for whatever reason, (s)he still gets some or all of the money left for the remainder of the contract. A sweet deal really if you are the employee. If you are the employer, not so much.