'I shut my mouth and planned my revenge': Controller discovers they're being underpaid while boss brings on wife as overpaid consultant

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 4, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

For this worker, the only thing more infuriating than being underpaid was finding out that others were making much, much more money. 

In case no one's told you lately, you should discuss your salary with your coworkers. Even when—no, especially when—it's very awkward, you should still bring it up politely. You and your coworkers may benefit from it. If you all know what you're making, you have the ability to question your bosses about your value to the company compared to others. 

Higher-ups don't want you to talk about your salary because a lot of people make tons of money for doing basically nothing. No one knows that better than u/Plaid___Dad. They shared a story of very petty revenge: as the controller of a property management company, they realized they were being underpaid by a huge amount. Unfortunately, once the paperwork is signed and you've agreed to your salary, there isn't much you can do about it. But this worker didn't let that stop them from messing with the company while they looked for a better-paying gig. 

Up next, nearly the entirety of this couple's wedding guest list decided not to go to the ceremony, leaving the wedding coordinators scratching their heads and wondering what to do. 

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  • 01
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    via Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
  • 02
    Boss denies deserved raise... so I make him regret it Long post... be patient. Its worth it.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 03
    September of 2019 is when I am laid off by a former boss who was ousting people in order to hire her friends (and start an embezzling scheme as I later found out). At the time I did not really need the 2nd income as my wife has a great job and we took the opportunity to do some home renovations. Well in March 2020, I had the foresight to know that
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 04
    the Covid issue was going to come soon so I landed a role as a controller for a modest Property Management company here in East Cleveland. It was a lower paying controller role, but I knew this was the next step in my career and it would benefit me in the long run to have "Controller" on my resume... so I took the gig.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 05
    Fast forward to June of 2021 when we found out we were expecting our first child. I knew I needed to request a raise so I took multiple weeks to do market research on my role, experience, and company size. I even reached out to some recruiters I was connected with to confirm the salary range I should request
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 06
    to be in line with market standards. I won't give you exact dollar figures, but I requested a raise of $20K in order to get me up to the 10th percentile of market standards with all relevant factors. I didn't even ask for the average salary... just the 10th percentile!!! I did all this 1 week prior to my *late* 1 year review.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 07
    Boss (also the owner) said he was disappointed in my letter requesting such a large increase and how sudden it was. I stood my ground and said the raise was modest when compared to the market here in Cleveland. I was told the raise was not in the budget. Mind you that as the
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 08
    Controller, I CREATE THE BUDGETS!!! I know good and well where our financials stand and I knew my raise would be a drop in the bucket. But my boss is greedy and our turnover was way too high because of this... but I digress. He reluctantly gives me a raise that was pathetic and not
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 09
    anywhere near the 20K requested. He gives me a dollar figure that the Accounting department must stay under and says that it is my job to adhere to this. **this is important later**. At the time I did not have another option so I shut my mouth and planned my revenge.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 10
    2 weeks later, my AP person quit due to not getting a raise (no surprise there). Boss brings in his wife to work 20 hours a week until we fill the role. His wife is perfectly capable and quite smart, so I appreciated her offering to help. What I did not
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 11
    appreciate was seeing what he paid her on the next payroll. She was being paid 25% more than what I was being paid... and she only worked 20 hours compared to my 50. And when compared to the prior AP person, she was being paid 70% more. This fueled my fire even more. We find a new AP person in September, but my
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 12
    boss keeps his wife on payroll as a "CONsuLtaNt" and continues to pay her 125% of my salary to do literally nothing. My internal fire is now white hot.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 13
    Its now Feb 2022 and I have just received an offer letter from a larger manufacturing company that pays great, has great benefits, and allows me to work a ton from home. I draft a letter to my boss for my resignation fueled by his instructions about staying within the defined budget for the Accounting Department. I
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 14
    am cutting a salary to meet that figure... my salary. I gave 2 weeks notice, because it wouldn't look good to my new employer if I just quit. I made sure that month end closing was started but not finished, made sure that my last day was 1 day prior to figuring payroll, and that all my
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 15
    intellectual property that helped with reporting and SOPs was deleted. We were also wrapping up 2021 year end with our CPA, but I didn't really feel like working off to finish that. He did my not speak to me the last 2 weeks.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 16
    Its now late April and I learned this morning that everyone under me has quit because they did not want to work for him after seeing how he dealt with me.
    via u/Plaid__Dad
  • 17
    I don't feel bad for him. He talks the talk about treating people fair and justly, but its time someone shows him that he doesn't walk the walk.
    via u/Plaid__Dad

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