'[I cost them an] annual $300k of business': Worker cheated on raise and bonus, costs employer biggest client

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Dec 13, 2023 7:00 AM EST

The phrase "tripping over dollars to pick up dimes" has become a popular one in the discourse of online workplace discussions, particularly when it comes to topics about employers refusing to honor overdue raises and promised bonuses for their top workers. However, it has other applications, too, such as when it comes to other overly drastic cost-cutting measures in the workplace.

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  • Either way, the point is this: investing in a skilled workforce and in the proper tools to do their job opens up the doorway to success. Conversely, cutting too deeply into the bottom line with cost-saving measures and not investing in workers will result in a slow death of your operation… even if it looks good in the short term on your quarterly business report. 

    This is perfectly illustrated in this classic story in which this worker detailed how their employer skimping on their benefits and remuneration led to their resignation, which in turn led to the loss of one of the company's top clients.

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    via Chris Liverani
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    Posted by u/TheflyingLag You give me a poor raise and bonus i take away annual 300K dollars of business from you I was lurking for sometimes and here I am ready to tell my pro-revenge story. To put some context on the story, I was working at a multi-national firm, I did my final internship post-masters degree there and they liked me so they offered me a job as a junior consultant. Fresh from school I couldn't be happier. As I was naïve, I signed the contract without worrying
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    about the little details, one of the clause was that the leave notice is set to be 3 month, I raised the issue and they said, it's not a big deal, it was just for compliance purposes to the parent firm, fair enough, I started working. In my second month, a colleague screwed up big time, he did something by mistake jeopardizing one of our biggest accounts, and one of the biggest banks worldwide, easily could have made it to the news headlines. They fired the guy and offered me to work on the acco
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    I start working with the team located in a different country to work on the international bank which has branch practically everywhere, so there were a lot of interactions with associates all over the world. They were very happy with my work and I even had my own team to work for me when I have to multi-account. The manager was very happy with me because I exceeded expectation and I bring more work fees to the firm.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    While I was waiting for a big raise and bonus in the yearly evaluation, the manager said that I did nothing special. I swallowed my anger and continue to work flawlessly the same as the first year but with a big you attitude. They even gave me other accounts and a team to manage and because I'm a petty person I wasn't going to let this slide that easily.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    The second-year evaluation, because of my you attitude, they tried to dig dirt on me so they can punish me, they found nothing, the client was very happy with my work. The manager and HR Director (HRD) went an extra mile to dig dirt on me from my team, they found nothing, my academic background gave me a lot of tools to work with to manage. I was a good team leader, I trained them well, and i took responsibility for every decision made.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    On the yearly evaluation, the Managing Partner (MP) and HRD said that I'm very competent and I did a flawless job but i wasn't motivated enough to climb to ladder even further this year, the SOB gave me the poorest raise and bonus even though they have a set of "objective" rules for that and the defining factor is the client appreciation which was excellent for me.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    The revenge part: It was like the stars were aligning for me, In that big bank account, I was the only remaining from the team, and because it requires a lot of international coordination, not everyone could keep tab on everything and there was an account history to keep an eye on, we worked with a lot of high profile associates around the world and they are pretty much zero mistake
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    tolerance. As I was the remaining member of the old team, the account associate requested me to come visit him in another country and expressed to my manager how much he relies on me on the upcoming season. Here comes the fun part. The hot season for work starts from January until late April, with 3-month notice they hadn't much to worry about, so that's what they thought!
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    Late December I resigned and demanded to perform only one month notice. I know their drill they II say they have to consult the MP and they will get back to me with response as soon as possible but in the meantime I should train someone to replace me, at the end of the month and once a replacement is trained, they will say he said no you should stay 3 months or pay up the 2 months (They did this to everyone before me).
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    As I had one year to plan my revenge I set aside my revenge money, to take away their leverage, I waited a week and went back to see the HRD, she said she's waiting still for the MP's Okay. I went back to my office and I canceled my 5 days paid vacation for the end of December. I had the following conversation by mail: Manager: TheflyingLag, you can't cancel your paid vacation as there isn't much work to do at that time, YOU WILL TAKE PAID VACATION LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. ME: I won't take it, I'm no
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    everyone else, I'm on resignation notice Manager: Doesn't matter you'll take it nevertheless ME: As stated by labor laws, the employee on resignation notice can't take paid. vacation otherwise it will extend their notice by the said vacation unless there is an agreement between the two parties on it. WHICH ON OUR CASE IS NOT.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    With nothing left to say, she forwarded the mail chain to de HRD and she sent me a mail to come discuss this matter with her. ME: I'm being professional I demanded my notice reduced and a person to train, 1 weeks passed and no replacement and I'm still waiting for your feedback. HRD: We didn't find the right person to replace you and we are still looking. ME: I don't care that much, you said in the evaluation I did nothing
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    special and I haven't what it takes you climb. HRD: Noticed my evil look, sure it was brutal how we treated you. But you can't leave you II stay 3 || months and we have a plenty of time to find someone to replace you and you will train him. ME: That's not going to happen, at the end of the month I'm leaving and you can't stop me. HRD: in this case, you pay 2-month salary which a lot. ME: no problem! I was prepared for that
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    eventuality, my check is ready. She panicked and she called the manager and the Operations Director (OD) to the meeting, Them: You can't leave, even with paying we have to accept which won't happen. ME: as stated by law, section X paragraph Y, I can in fact leave and I don't need your approval.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    The OD is a poker champion and he was in the meeting just to call my bluffs. I leaned on the meeting table to give him enough physical reading of my intention so he can see that I'm not bluffing, I said that, I'm leaving at the end the month you have two options, Option 1: I pay you the 2 months but I will train nobody or option 2: I'll train somebody to replace me but I won't pay you, you choose wisely.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    HRD: This is blackmail. ME: You called it whatever you want, that's my offer, take it or leave it, you have less than three weeks to decide. OD: How we can make sure you will train him well? ME: You don't! if you want the second option, I need a written agreement before I start the training. In the rush they agree to give up the 2-months pay in exchange of training someone, they find a junior without any experience to fill for me, I gave her a lousy training, and after 2 months the client wasn't
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    To have some perspective, on the bank account I alone scored 2000 hours with hourly fees of 200 dollars. They basically give up over 300K annually from that account because they thought it was wise to screw a junior staff on his raise and bonus for two years. Easy on my English, it's my third language TLDR: Manager gave me a poor bonus and raise for two years even though I did an outstanding job, I make one of the biggest clients dropped them.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    Edit 2: for the poor girl I 'trained', she was understanding, i did apologize to her in advance, and i suggested to her to take the account on the condition that she shouldn't take the blame for any potential downfall. According to a friend still working there she didn't take any blame.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    Edit 3 I didn't need their reference, i had already an offer somewhere else and i explained to them that my current employers are and they will try to pull moves on me, i had nothing to worry. For future references, it's not that common in my country, they are required by law to give me a formal paper citing the period i worked there and the title i had, potential employers generally demand that paper to prove that you work there and they will not contact them for anything.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    Edit 4: To add a layer to the reference matter, they are known in the marketplace for being I a colleague and a friend of mine resigned 2 months before me to go work for a branch of a Multi-national IT company, they pulled the same on here, but once she left, the CFO of that branch called de HRD to tell her that they got my friend, just to her off even more. It turned out the HRD was in that branch before and she burned every bridge there while quitting.
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    redloin Man this hits close to home. I got thrown into a position after 2 senior engineers got booted by our client. I was only 3 years into my career(6 now) and have been given the same review each year. Basically "you're nothing special and anyone can do it" but when I counter with "the 2 senior guys who got removed from the project because of their performance couldn't do it", the company says nothing. Its a shame that organizations don't recognize this. It's the difference between making an
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    Oct_ Sounds like big four accounting firm doing consulting. Am I right? Reply Share 377 TheflyingLag OP You are correct! Down the line i end up with another manager graduate from one of them again, i knew from the day one that he will pull those practices on me, and i - was quick to made it clear to him that i will not put up with his Yada Yada 6 month and he leaves. 308 Reply Share
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    cosmic_serendipity As great as this is as a revenge story, I do feel bad for that poor person that you intentionally trained poorly. They didn't have anything to do with this and they got screwed for your revenge :// 1.6k Kodiak01 Reply Share 586 ... 2 years prior, OP WAS the "poor person." Reply Share
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    Shoopahn Great pro revenge. You learned your value and what to do when your employer doesn't want to pay what you're worth for your services, and your employer learned that senior employees don't have a monopoly on of steel. Their lesson came at a cost of $300k a year and a poorer reputation. You clearly came out ahead on this one. 263 Reply Share
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    TheflyingLag OP I wasn't the only one who screwed them at that time but I was the one who screwed them hard. They step up their evaluation after me. They still screw the staff but in less obvious way 128 Reply Share
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    easyjo An HR director said "it's brutal how we treated you"? Really? that seems a weird thing for HR to say, could open them up tom legal issues 40 Reply Share TheflyingLag OP She was trying to play mind games with me, she was trying to give me false sense of trust, later in that conversation she asked where I'm going, so she can sabotage me, I'm not that naive to give up any leverage. 38 Reply Share ●●●
    via u/TheflyingLag
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    skrogle This sounds satisfying, but I'd be worried that it would come back to haunt me on employment verification or just word of mouth in the circles you work in. Did this affect your reputation in the industry? 34 Reply Share 50 ●●● TheflyingLag OP I had a better job offer elsewhere, that's why I resigned, and i made it clear to them that my current employer is bloodsucking asholes. They could do nothing to harm me afterwards. Reply Share
    via u/TheflyingLag

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