Employee helps friend land a job at her company, gets denied raise while friend gets paid $10,000 more than her: 'Should I confront my CEO?'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 19, 2024 8:00 AM EST

No one wants to end their year at work on a sour note like this. Of course, annual performance reviews are bound to cause some sort of anxiety among most employees, especially those who are preparing to advocate for a raise. Unfortunately for this employee, she was met with total rejection, and it only gets worse from there.

This Redditor had been at the company for over three years without a significant pay raise during her time there. Not only was the CEO complimenting her work all the time during company meetings, but the employee also went above and beyond for the company by helping fill a tough position with a friend who was underqualified at first but who turned out to be a great hire. Well, after her request for a raise was unjustly denied, the employee discovered from her friend-turned-coworker that she was granted a raise and is now making $10,000 more than the employee who got her hired in the first place.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best advice the employee received in the comments section. For more, check out this post about cringeworthy college admissions essays.

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  • 01
    265084473 THE F DE 20 DOLLARS HEMGO AND GEM 50.92388 VOREAKY S021929 52152998 Машакта
    via M Jahid
  • 02
    I got my friend a job & she told me that she got a raise...it's 10k more than me
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 03
    Last year, I helped someone I know (now a friend) get a job at the company I work for. It's a small, remote team, just 10 employees. She had no prior experience in our industry and was struggling to find work.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 04
    Yesterday, completely unprompted, she told me she got a raise. For context, she knows what I make (it's a long story, and not something I would ever share, but I'll spare the details).
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 05
    I've been with this company for almost 3 years. I've worked my a off because they've treated me well, and honestly, I take pride in doing great work for our clients
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 06
    and I want to grow in this industry. At my 2 year mark, I asked for a raise, but at that time, the company had been going through a rough patch. Over hiring, losing some big clients,
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 07
    and the CEO told me it wasn't feasible, but assured me it would happen "after summer" once things stabilized.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 08
    I respected that (silly me), because I trusted them to do right by me when the time came. Fast forward to now: I'm still here, still grinding, still producing results. I don't need to be
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 09
    micromanaged, I'm consistently praised by the CEO, clients, and my team. The CEO literally says he wishes every employee was like me. And yet... nothing.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 10
    We have to track our time, and I'm consistently logging more hours than my coworkers. I know time doesn't always equal value, but it's a data point that shows I'm carrying a lot of weight here.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 11
    And yet someone who's been here for a little over a year, and got the job because of me is making more. I'm not upset about her getting a raise, because | think she deserves one too, but I can't help but feel disrespected???
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 12
    I realize I've made mistakes in how I've handled this, but I'm stuck on what to do. Obviously, work less & put that energy into finding a new job. but should I
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 13
    confront my CEO in the meantime? I feel weird bringing it up because I didn't ask for this information to begin with, but now that I know, I'm hurt.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 14
    Lazy DaveGotFeet 2d ago • • My advice, don't quote your colleagues pay. But do ask for a pay raise - show the data you have, show the good work you do (with quotes from clients, if you have them). If you have pay benchmarks for your role. locally, you can cite these too.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 15
    Of the answer is still no.. get the CV brushed up and put that effort in looking for a new role.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 16
    Lesson here: work people are not friends. For the CEO, doing right for the business is a bigger priority than doing by you. Only you will advocate for you.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 17
    hybridsone93 • 2d ago . No stop wasting your time you already have the answer but you're too comfortable to move on. They don't value you like you think they do. Keep quiet and look for another job give yourself a raise.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 18
    maximagent • 2d ago If your friend makes more than you and has worked there two years less than you, it's time for you to look for another job. You have excellent references there.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 19
    When they catch wind that you received another job for more pay, they will likely try and retain your services by offering you a pay raise to keep you from leaving. Standard practice. If they don't, you already have the new job anyways.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • 20
    PickleWineBrine • 2d ago Top 1% Commenter Loyalty is expensive, ain't it? That's why a company will never be loyal to you. When you ask for a raise, be prepared to walk away when they refuse again.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649

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