'Give me a 30% raise': Boss denies employee's raise request, shocked when they leave

It's difficult to picture your life any different than it is at this exact moment… and that's not talking about simple wishful thinking. It's easy to say "I wish things were better" "I'm grateful and lucky for what I have" or "I'm glad things aren't worse." But actually seeing yourself in a different place, living a different life, amongst different people takes a great deal of willpower, effort, and conviction.

By default we fall into patterns, seeking the comfort of the familiar. Possibly through sheer survival instincts, we cling to the known even if we're being miserably suffocated by it—rather than seeking out an unknown new experience. But it's surprising how by just letting go, even a little bit—or even just by keeping our eyes open for new experiences—we find just how easy it can be to make another, possibly better life for ourselves.

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Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
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  • Getting a new job is a bit like this. When you're walking into the same drab office day in and day out, taking the same route on your commute, and having the same conversations by the water cooler all to pay rent or service your mortgage and put food on the table for your family, it's easily to feel stifled short of air.

    But, just putting out a few applications, networking, and getting yourself out there; you could find yourself in a more colorful place that provides either better compensation or more flexibility and happiness to your work—just like this worker did after they were denied a raise by their employer.

  • 01
    "I was told that no one working "only" 45-50 hours per week deserved the amount of money I was looking for."
    via Headway
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  • 02
    I gave them options to retain me, they passed on all of them... and were shocked that their actions had consequences. Copied from one of my replies in a different post but it got enough upvotes I thought I'd share in its own thread. About 8 years ago now, I started a job that I really enjoyed. After nearly 3 years of standard 3% raises and glowing reviews, I had a talk with my boss and boss's boss at the same time.
    via u/warpg8
  • 03
    I provided 4 options, 3 of which would result in retaining me as an employee: 1. Give me a 30% raise, based on the fact that my job used to be the job of 2 people before I automated over 1 full job away and took on additional responsibilities without an increase in pay, 2. Promote me to manager of a department I was more than qualified to run (whose manager had recently retired) and then backfill me with someone junior, 3. Allow me to work at the company doing a split of my normal duties and do
    via u/warpg8
  • 04
    I was told that no one working "only" 45-50 hours per week deserved the amount of money I was looking for (my boss loved to refer to the "Invisible Hand of Mr. Market") and was rejected for both the promotion and the PhD research funding. One month later, I asked for another meeting and included HR. At that meeting, I reviewed the notes our last meeting, and for everyone to agree that's what had been discussed. I then handed them the offer letter showing that I had been offered the 30% raise and
    via u/warpg8
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  • 05
    I told them I would not be entertaining any counteroffers, as their opportunity to retain me expired when they rejected me. The HR person asked me to reconsider, and I said "I shouldn't have to go out and get a competing offer letter every time I want a decent raise. I should be compensated based on contribution and given raises based on merit. If I have to threaten to quit every time I want to be fairly compensated, I may as well just take the competitive offer and save myself the stress.".
    via u/warpg8
  • 06
    Then I looked at my boss and said "I guess you were wrong about what Mr. Market thought about the value of my time" and asked if there were any questions before we concluded the meeting. After about 15 seconds of stunned silence, I left the room. My boss made no attempt to speak to me again until 2.5 weeks later when he asked me what my transition plan was for my work. I told him I had been awaiting his transition plan for my work, and had no intention of cramming weeks of work into my final 3 d
    via u/warpg8
  • 07
    SnooBunnies 7461 2 days ago Good job. Love how they thought you had a transition plan for your work. No you had a transition plan for yourself. Transitioned yourself right on to another job. lol 3.9k Reply Share ... z-w-throwaway · 2 days ago "What's your transition plan OP?" "How the should I know? I have a manager, ask them" 2.1k Reply Share
    via u/warpg8
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  • 08
    bottomlless 2 days ago • They give lip service to wanting to have smart people on their "team" but are scared of people who are actually smarter than them. 1.1k Reply Share . . .
    via u/warpg8
  • 09
    ejrhonda79 2 days ago Amazing job. It was executed very well and professionally. I guarantee they will not learn and will continue with their I loved how they assumed you'd create a transition plan during your wind-down period. That's their problem what are they going to do fire you? 402 Reply Share ...
    via u/warpg8
  • 10
    warpg8 OP 2 days ago I think he was just being petty and wanted to make me look bad. I heard from some people that he was talking mad on me after I left and I had a conversation with their HR VP about whether he was going to put a stop to it or if I should keep records of every report of him slandering me in a way that could materially hurt my future job prospects in the event that I need to take them to court for defamation. Apparently he kept my name out of his mouth after that. 444 Reply Shar
    via u/warpg8
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  • 11
    notmykayakyoudont 2 days ago Had something similar. Worked for an employer that paid an ok salary plus a market rate (about 15k) on top for SAP skills. New manager decided he didn't need to pay the market rate as "anyone can work out how to configure SAP" so why should he pay extra. Was offered redundancy and decided to take it. Went to work for a vendor that had been supporting us in SAP for years, ended up supporting my previous employer and billing them in excess of 20k a month for my service
    via u/warpg8
  • 12
    Fluffy_Ad_6581 - 2 days ago The fact the manager expected you to have a transition plan. Lol what a pos. That's his job. 168 Reply Share warpg8 OP 2 days ago I was quite vocal about this (among other things) during my exit interview. 118 Reply Share
    via u/warpg8
  • 13
    lanky_yankee - 2 days ago You handled this perfectly. I also have the personal policy of giving an employer only one chance to negotiate with me if and when I ask for a raise. If they reject it, they do not get a second chance to negotiate to try and retain me and I'll immediately start looking for another job if I hadn't already been looking. em. 127 Reply Share ... warpg8 OP 2 days ago Yep, because if you go out and get another offer and then turn it down because you used that offer to get a r
    via u/warpg8
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  • 14
    Equinsu-Ocha · 2 days ago You did give them the opportunity to counteroffer. You just didn't spell it out for them. Not your problem they were too stupid to see it. 83 Reply Share warpg8 OP 2 days ago Exactly. Their opportunity to counteroffer was up front, not after they said no and I went looking. 61 Reply Share ...
    via u/warpg8
  • 15
    greenwoodgiant · 2 days ago Love the assumption that YOU were going to lead and facilitate your transition plan hahahaha 76 Reply Share ...
    via u/warpg8
  • 16
    JerryVand 2 days ago Make sure you let your former co- workers know about this and that they might want to see what Mr. Market thinks about their value. 128 Reply Share warpg8 OP 2 days ago Of all the friends I had from that job, only 1 is still working there. He got a promotion by leaving them high and dry and then coming back a year later to a better job title and pay. It's temporary, though. He says it's a show. 107 Reply Share
    via u/warpg8
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  • 17
    Ceilibeag 2 days ago 'Bad managers really end up going full on sour grapes when their best employees leave...' I can imagine how they treat their *regular* employees... :-0 44 Reply Share
    via u/warpg8
  • 18
    1quirky1 2 days ago Note to self: Never work for that "Mr. Market" guy. He sounds like a fool. 44 Reply Share warpg8 OP 2 days ago He was just your standard Libertarian idiot who believed in the free market right up until it punched him in the face. The cognitive dissonance in that moment was so thick in the air you could have cut it with a butter knife. 87 Reply Share
    via u/warpg8

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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job malicious compliance work workplace Horrible Bosses workplace malicious compliance employment in the workplace
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