'Won’t give me a raise, enjoy replacing me and the people I poach': Restaurant employee gets denied a 10% raise, quits and takes all of the best employees with him

Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor

Aug 29, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

If you have ever worked in the service industry then you know that the best part of it are your coworkers. You all trauma-bond and get super tight when you have to deal with all the Karens and entitled customers. Literally, I'll never forget having to quit my restaurant that I had all throughout college, it felt like I was breaking up with someone I still loved. But managers in restaurants know that their staff tends to come and go, so if it's a healthy workplace, they'll be excited for your next step in life. Truly a "if you love them, let them go" situation. Again, that's if you have a healthy work environment. There are many service industry jobs where the upper management is just as bad as the Karen customers coming in to bully the employees.

One redditor got a taste of both service industry worlds. He was currently working in corporate for a restaurant branch. He went above and beyond his pay, so when he asked for a 10% pay raise, he didn't think it was too much to ask. However, it turns out payroll begged to differ. They not only refused his raise, they told him he was free to quit. True entitled upper-management energy.

So he left, he got a way better job and a taste of a healthy service industry work environment. It was so healthy, that when they started looking for new employees, he knew exactly where to look. He turned to his coworker he left at the toxic workplace and saved them. Now they are back working together, all with raises and benefits, and that horrible management is just a nightmare of the past.