'You bet I'm looking for a new job': Employee denied raise until next year, then discovers 10+ coworkers got promotions this month

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 6, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

If they come up with an excuse to not give you a raise right then and there, they aren't likely to change their minds any time soon. There are a lot of nonsensical reasons your bosses might give when they're denying your raise and/or promotion. They could pretend there's a freeze on raises given the current fragile economy. Or they could make up an excuse about some bogus rule regarding when they grant raises and promotions. That second reason was exactly the line that was fed to this employee, who shared their story via this Reddit thread. 

 

He had been working for the company for years and was among the most knowledgeable and valuable developers on the team, but he noticed that new hires were getting paid higher salaries for the same (or for fewer) responsibilities. When he confronted his manager about it, they told him that promotions and raises cannot be granted until the beginning of the year. Sounds like one of those bogus rules, am I right?

 

Turns out it was! Not long after, a company-wide email was sent that announced the promotions of 10+ coworkers that month. These employers have some kind of audacity! Not only did they fabricate a lie about why they couldn't give OP a raise, but then they provided their own proof that this rule was fake. 

 

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions in the comments section. When you're finished, feel free to check out this post a chatty employee who was told to stay silent at work.

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  • 01
    Plant - "[They] told me promotions can't be done until next year. Then proceed to promote 10 people this month."
    via Ben White
  • 02
    Font - Told me promotions can't be done until next year. Then, proceed to promote 10 people this month. I've been working in this software company for years, and I've been the only developer in the team for months. I have tons of knowledge about our product, and can handle the most complicated tasks.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 03
    Font - Recently, we hired some people with higher ranks and salary than me, and they're obviously not performing as good as someone who has been there for a while (this is totally okay, our product is kind of complicated to get at first).
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 04
    Font - Last month I requested to, at least, get the same conditions they have, because I was taking 90% of the tasks anyway, and they rejected because promotions only happen at the beginning of the year.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 05
    Font - Today, I received an email from the CEO with the list of promotions of this month. There are ten people. In case you read this in the future, we're in August. You bet I'm looking for a new job.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 06
    Font - quesadilla79 17 hr. ago Dont give them any notice just tell them you quit with the same professionalism they showed you when they lied about promotions. 959 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 07
    Rectangle - xrayhearing 16 hr. ago Courtesy two weeks notices are only available at the beginning of the year. 677 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 08
    Font - Nu-du-Monde 17 hr. ago I'm so, so sorry this happened to you. It seems very shady but unfortunately not something that I am unfamiliar with. I'm not at your level of career. I work in the service industry. But I have seen promotions in my field just in order to make the department supervisor's job easier. And my supervisor is not shy at all about picking out her favorites and vocally proclaiming people she likes even though our work is so basic, no one can do anything better than the next
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 09
    Font - I wish you all the luck in finding a new job. It's important for your talent to be appreciated and not abused just because of biased people. Hoping for the best for you. 181 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 10
    Font - peta-zeta OP 17 hr. ago Thank you so much for your kind words, I really needed to hear something like this today. 72 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 11
    Font - PorQpineSpiritAnimal. 16 hr. ago Don't do anything extra any more. It's literally above your pay grade. Do only the job you were hired for. Do not train anybody, especially if they make more than you. (Unless you are paid to be a trainer.) 147 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 12
    Font - peta-zeta OP 16 hr. ago You're right, I was asked to do whatever it takes to reduce the onboarding time. I precisely documented everything and got a huge reduction in new hires contribution time. There are still some things that can be automated to have an even faster onboarding process, but it won't be me the one improving it anymore. I'll proceed to do just what they're paying me for. Edit: typo. 92 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 13
    Font - TheOtherGlikbach. 17 hr. ago You are not valued until you leave. 4 90 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 14
    Font - smashkraft 14 hr. ago . Then they blame everything on you. 4 32 Reply Share
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 15
    Font - vrixxz 12 hr. ago usually they will give counter-offer after you reject it, then they blame everything on you on daily basis, on meetings, etc
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 16
    Font - 372 Divallo 16 hr. ago You are the only dev right now and have years of experience at this company. and you have a lot of deep knowledge about their code base they really don't want to lose.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 17
    Font - You kind of have them by the right now. You can either stop productivity and make demands, or you can just quit suddenly and charge them a huge consulting fee for the training their new dev is going to need.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 18
    Font - peta-zeta OP 16 hr. ago About a month earlier, the CTO directly told me these exact words in a meeting: "you're the most knowledgeable developer we have right now in this area". I'm just so confused.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 19
    Font - You're right, I won't be training people anymore. Unfortunately for them (because it's definitely not their fault), they'll need to make their own findings and documentation.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 20
    Font - dsdvbguutres 15 hr. ago Another example of how "Can't give raises outside of review cycle." is utter and complete bullshit excuse fabricated to deny raises. Just put on your grown up pants about it and say sorry, the shot callers don't think they need to pay you more.smh
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 21
    Font - peta-zeta OP 15 hr. ago Exactly, I would appreciate honesty. If you don't feel I deserve a promotion or if my department is not that profitable, just say it so we can have a discussion.
    via u/peta-zeta
  • 22
    Font - boopbop8363727. 10 hr. ago The 2023 version of "can't give raises outside of the review cycle" is "we're in a tough time. We're freezing salaries. No raises this year" As always, this party line is total BS, as long as you as the employee are willing to have an uncomfortable conversation or be ready to walk away from the job.
    via u/peta-zeta

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terrible coworkers promotion workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work coworkers toxic-boss Office reddit thread Reddit toxic-work-environment
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