Update! 'He said I couldn't have left at a worse time': Employee tries to reconnect with boss after quitting goes wrong

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 19, 2022 11:00 AM EST

One person shared their experience reconnecting with an old boss after an emotional departure from the job. The OP shared to Reddit, asking if they were in the wrong with the interaction. This person describes how they worked for a company for six years, rising through the ranks and eventually even doubling their salary over years of hard work. But then they got an offer they couldn't refuse. It would more than double their salary! 

The OP quit with what they thought was an appropriate tone, and even had a plan in place for leaving. But their boss exploded upon hearing the news, accusing them of disloyalty to the company that made their career possible. 

However, OP decided that they still wanted to have this boss in their life, because he mentored them, and they didn't want to burn bridges. So they decided to meet up for a drink, and the OP ended up getting some much-needed explanations behind the bosses' strong reaction. 

Scroll below to read the story plus the update, then click here to see one man's tale of trying to pull a metal object off of a really large magnet - an MRI machine - and failing miserably. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 9719777280
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  • 02
    Font - r/r/BestofRedditor Updates Posted by u/raredontstare 2 days ago AITA for telling my old boss I don't believe in loyalty and its unreasonable to expect me not to quit for a better paid job? CONCLUDED I am NOT OP. Original post by u/TAsalary in r/AmItheA 2 AITA for telling my old boss I don't believe in loyalty and its unreasonable to expect me not to quit for a better paid job? - 28th September 2020 Worked at my first job for 6 years. They trained me from ground zero on everything. I had a
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 03
    Font - I quit without thinking twice, and thought it was more respectful not to ask my old boss to use any of his political capital to get me a match (he couldn't, part of my new comp is stock in the new company and the salary is likely more than his pay). So I simply gave him my notice and explained my transition plan. Boss was truly devastated and very very angry. We both stayed professional throughout the discussion but it got heated and he questioned my loyalty as if it's a character flaw. I
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 04
    Font - I've seen people walked out of the door after 2 decades with a "pink slip" and no one shed a tear the morning after. I respect my old boss, but what the his "loyalty to your job" supposed to even mean? EDIT: I can't possibly respond to everyone and read every comment so if there's something super pressing you wanted to ask or share feel free to DM and I may be able to answer. Thanks for the engagement and helpful insight everyone!
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 05
    Font - I apologized for perhaps ending things with my old job too abruptly. He said I couldn't have left at a worst time but then again there was no better or worse time to lose me, and to not sweat it. Said he understands why I took the job, respects my reasoning for trying to protect him from using up the goodwill he built to save me as an employee/get me a match, and that giving him an earlier heads- up might have given him more time to find a replacement but didn't make a huge difference at
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 9719776512
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  • 07
    Font - A few things I took away from the reddit discussion and our talk with the old boss: • Look out for yourself. Your company is not the same thing as your boss. There are structural obstacles to fight against, and because you're loyal to one person doesn't mean the company as a whole feels that way about you. I don't regret my choice. • Be good to people who were good to you and do right by them, if that doesn't go against #1. I wasn't a din my final interview and thanked my old boss profuse
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 08
    Font - tsg79nj 2 days ago My best friend recently left his job of 25 years. He wasn't even looking but got a call from a former co- worker offering him a 30% raise, better benefits, bonuses, extensive training, and networking opportunities. He took it and got a lot of backlash from the company he was leaving. But they weren't willing to match anything and it had been a dead end with no growth for years. He's so much happier now and has zero regrets. Always do what's best for you. The company doe
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 09
    Font - Rochemusic1 - 2 days ago . I feel like if I was a boss to someone, and they had an opportunity to do better for themselves, I'd be happy for them, not guilt trip.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 10
    Font - Painter Of The Horizon. 1 day ago If the workload is about the same, and the other company pays more for the same job, you are actually giving your current company money.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 11
    Art - tsg79nj 2 days ago Exactly. There's a reason why people are leaving that company in droves.
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  • 12
    Font - The FlyingSheeps - 1 day ago They always cry about loyalty, but it goes both ways. Where's the loyalty to the employee with regular raises? So many cases where new hires get more than someone already there Unless there's a pension there's really no reason to stay in one place
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 13
    Font - JonBonButtsniff. 2 days ago The company wanted the employee to feel bad for improving their own life. The company wanted the employee to be happier with less. The company does NOT want what is in your best interests.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 14
    Font - OffByOneErrorz 2 days ago Loyalty made sense in the 1950s. You work hard, do your job and progress up the ladder with a job for life and a pension coming. In 2020s f that. You can languish for years, never see pay raises, get fired at random in an "everyone has to cut 10% of department" deal. Pension ha ha. Corporations threw their labor under the bus decades ago there is no loyalty either way anymore.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 15
    Font - Illogical_Blox. 2 days ago Yeah, company loyalty made more sense when you were someone like my grandfather, who was straight up assigned a job by his union (he worked in newspaper publication, where the unions were tough as old leather.)
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 16
    Facial expression - Mitrovarr 2 days ago . They're hoping you aren't motivated enough to leave or can't find a better job.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 17
    Font - BalloonShip 2 days ago Right, there are costs to changing jobs. That's why many people will stay at a job for less than they can make elsewhere. On average, employers pay less in this model.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 18
    Human body - Achillor22 2 days ago Bro I think you need a different career field
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  • 19
    Font - dredreidel 2 days ago Penny wise and Pound foolish. More likely they did the math with some fancy risk model (or a pulled out the bum risk model) where they decided that the possibility of cheaper labor was worth the risk of possibly having to pay higher later on. Aka. They played with fire and got burned.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 20
    Font - dragonkin08 2 days ago . From my experiences working with larger companies, it is amazing that any business stays running. The management side of most companies seems to be filled with absolute idiots and if your manager is not an idiot then someone above them is.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 21
    Automotive lighting - Darrenizer 2 days ago I'd imagine, you give a raise to one person, the word gets around quick, now everyone wants a raise.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 22
    Font - TE DazeIt420 2 days ago I suspect that the refusals to increase base pay always come from the top of the company. Why? Because they can. Because labor is a fixed cost and businesses want to keep it as low as possible. Because there is taboo against asking your fellow workers about salary. It's not about logic, it's about power.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 23
    Font - 2 days ago Its called "being taken for granted". If you work hard tou are just given more work, and if you're really good but not management they won't promote you because it makes their life easier having people below that take care of sfor them
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 24
    Font - Mandy0621 2 days ago My boss' boss spent months constantly telling my employee they were waiting to hear back about approval to raise her salary from 42k to 50k. She was the lowest paid person out of her peers and was senior to almost all of them. Literally like 6 months this was going on for and she followed up with me and them every few weeks. I was her manager but I had no power except to keep harassing upper management to get the approval and give her an answer. They finally told her
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 25
    Font - scragglyman 2 days ago They have some percentage of "lifers" who, either by health insurance, proximity or some other perk, are trapped at their current place of employment. These people are invaluable as they are often reliable and known quantities in terms of performance and accept substantially smaller wages over time than the market demands.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates
  • 26
    Font - ClarissaLichtblau 2 days ago 6 years is a long time to stay at a starter job. I expect 2 years max out of new employees, until they transfer into different functions or departments or even change employers. He owed the company nothing.
    via r/BestofRedditorUpdates

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